Influence of Fermentation and Drying Materials on the Contamination of Cocoa Beans by Ochratoxin A

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a mycotoxin produced mainly by species of Aspergillus and Penicillium. Contamination of food with OTA is a major consumer health hazard. In Côte d’Ivoire, preventing OTA contamination has been the subject of extensive study. The current study was conducted to evaluate the influence of fermentation and drying materials on the OTA content in cocoa. For each test, 7000 intact cocoa pods were collected, split open to remove the beans, fermented using 1 of 3 different materials, sun-dried on 1 of 3 different platform types and stored for 30 days. A total of 22 samples were collected at each stage of post-harvesting operations. The OTA content in the extracted samples was then quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography. OTA was detected in beans at all stages of post-harvesting operations at varying levels: pod-opening (0.025 ± 0.02 mg/kg), fermentation (0.275 ± 0.2 mg/kg), drying (0.569 ± 0.015 mg/kg), and storage (0.558 ± 0.04 mg/kg). No significant relationships between the detected OTA level and the materials used in the fermentation and drying of cocoa were observed.     

Occurrence of Acetamiprid Residues in Water Reservoirs in the Cotton Basin of Northern Benin

Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology - An Ultra performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) coupled to UV detection method was developed to determine acetamiprid residues in water...     

Predictors of participant adherence and retention in the African American Study of Kidney Disease and Hypertension.

The African American Study of Kidney Disease and Hypertension (AASK) was conducted over a 7-year period at 21 clinical centers across the United States to investigate whether one of two levels of blood pressure control and/or one of three classes of antihypertensive medications was more effective at slowing the rate of renal disease in African Americans with renal insufficiency presumed secondary to hypertension. Analysis at the end of the study revealed an overall participant retention rate of 90% (still alive and not on dialysis); defined as having had at least one 125I-iothalamate GFR, the primary data collection element, measured in the final year of the study. Adherence, defined as not missing 3 consecutive protocol visits (6 months) during the study, was 77%. Adherence to protocol visits showed that participants assigned to a low blood pressure goal (mean arterial pressure [MAP] of 92 mm/Hg or lower) had a 30% (95% CI, 9%-45%) lower risk of nonadherence as compared to those assigned to the usual goal [MAP of 102-107] (p = 0.006). No statistically significant difference was observed between randomized drug assignments. Higher baseline systolic (p = 0.0001) and diastolic (p = 0.007) blood pressures were associated with a higher risk of nonadherence. Declining to provide an annual income is associated with a higher risk of nonadherence compared to those with incomes of $15,000 or higher (p = 0.04). In discussing the identifying factors that may predict nonadherence and the strategies that assisted in improving adherence and retention, this article offers insights for researchers in achieving high levels of participation in long-term clinical studies.     

Dynamic hip screw and compression plate fixation of ipsilateral femoral neck and shaft fractures

PURPOSE: To evaluate surgical outcomes of ipsilateral femoral neck and shaft fractures. METHODS: Between April 1997 and September 2004, 29 men and 8 women (mean age, 37 years) underwent fixation of femoral neck and shaft fractures using a dynamic compression plate plus a dynamic hip screw or screws. There were 30 femoral neck and 7 pertrochanteric fractures. Functional results were assessed according to the Friedman and Wyman classification. RESULTS: The mean follow-up period was 49 months. Of the femoral neck fractures, 34 united in a mean of 4 months; 33 of them healed anatomically and one with a 6-degree varus angulation. No osteonecrosis of the femoral head was noted. Of the femoral shaft fractures, 32 united in a mean of 6 months, 5 were non-unions (2 persisted even after revision surgery). Seven patients developed infections (5 superficial and 2 deep), which resolved with debridement and antibiotic treatment. Functional results were good in 29 patients, fair in 5, and poor in 3. CONCLUSION: The use of dynamic hip screws and compression plates for ipsilateral femoral neck and shaft fractures is reliable in achieving bone union with few complications.     

Bilateral anterior dislocation of the shoulders

Bilateral anterior shoulder dislocation is a very rare clinical entity. We report another case of traumatic bilateral anterior dislocation of shoulders. We discuss the mechanism of the dislocation which is unusual and the treatment.     

Intramedullary fixation using multiple Kirschner wires for forearm fractures: a developing country perspective

PURPOSE: To evaluate treatment results of intramedullary fixation using multiple Kirschner wires for diaphyseal forearm fractures. METHODS: Between January 2001 and January 2004, 184 patients (122 men and 62 women) with 288 displaced diaphyseal forearm fractures underwent intramedullary fixation using multiple Kirschner wires. The wires were inserted by opening the fracture site because radiographic facility for closed pinning was unavailable. The time to union, functional recovery, and the complication rates were assessed. RESULTS: 11 patients were lost to follow-up, leaving 173 whose data was analysed. In 167 (97%) of the patients the fractures united, and in 14 (8%) of them union was delayed. The mean time to union for closed fractures was 13 (range, 7-16) weeks and for open fractures it was 15 (range, 12-22) weeks. The mean time in cast was 6 (range, 3-14) weeks. In all, 34/173 (20%) had complications: superficial infection (n=13), deep infection (n=4), cross-union between bones (n=4), open fracture 'needing' a skin graft (n=2), radial nerve palsy (n=3), paraesthesia (n=1), and non-union (n=7). Among the 173 analysed patients, the infection rate was 10% and the non-union rate was 4%. 130 (75%) of the patients had the wires removed; no re-fracture occurred after wire removal. Based on the Anderson criteria, 47 (27%) of the patients attained excellent, 78 (45%) satisfactory, and 39 (23%) unsatisfactory results. In 9 (5%) of the patients, union failed (7 plain non-union and 2 due to chronic osteomyelitis). CONCLUSION: Kirschner wires are much cheaper than plates and screws, and require minimal expertise for insertion and removal. They remain acceptable for stabilising displaced diaphyseal forearm fractures in developing countries.     

Gastroprotective and antidepressant effects of a new zinc(II)-curcumin complex in rodent models of gastric ulcer and depression induced by stresses

Curcumin, a yellow pigment found in the rhizome of Curcuma loga, has been used to treat a variety of digestive and neuropsychiatric disorders since ancient times in China. Curcumin can chelate various metal ions to form metallocomplexes of curcumin which show greater effects than curcumin alone. This study investigated the antiulcerogenic and antidepressant effects of a Zn(II)-curcumin complex on cold-restraint stress (CRS)-induced gastric ulcers in rats, and on the forced swimming test (FST), tail suspension test (TST) and 5-hydroxy-l-tryptophan (5-HTP)-induced head twitch test in mice. CRS disrupted the rat mucosal barrier and induced gastric ulcers by decreasing the activities of the antioxidant enzymes, and increasing H⁺-K⁺-ATPase activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) level. Pretreatment with Zn(II)-curcumin (12, 24, and 48 mg/kg) dose-dependently reversed these trends, reduced gastric lesions and H⁺-K⁺-ATPase activity, and increased antioxidant activities compared with control groups. Zn(II)-curcumin significantly increased HSP70 mRNA, and attenuated increased iNOS mRNA in the mucosa. Zn(II)-curcumin (17, 34, and 68 mg/kg) also significantly decreased immobility time in the FST and TST, and enhanced 5-HTP-induced head twitches in mice. These results demonstrate that the Zn(II)-curcumin complex showed significant gastroprotective and antidepressant effects compared with curcumin alone via a synergistic effect between curcumin and zinc.     

The impact of maternal supplementation during pregnancy and the first 6 months postpartum on the growth status of the next child born after the intervention period: Follow‐up results from Bangladesh and Ghana

Pregnancy and breastfeeding make demands on maternal nutrient stores. The extent of depletion and the degree to which nutrient stores are replenished between pregnancies has implications for a mother's nutritional status at conception of the subsequent child and therefore that child's birth outcomes and growth. Using follow‐up data collected several years after a randomized effectiveness trial conducted in rural Bangladesh and a randomized efficacy trial conducted in semiurban Ghana, we evaluated the impact of maternal supplementation with small‐quantity lipid‐based nutrient supplements (LNS) or multiple micronutrients (MMN) through pregnancy (the index pregnancy) and 6 months postpartum on the growth status of the next living younger sibling conceived and born after the index pregnancy. In both Bangladesh (n = 472 younger siblings) and Ghana (n = 327 younger siblings), there were no overall differences in the growth status or the prevalence of undernutrition among younger siblings whose mothers had received LNS (or MMN, Ghana only) during and after the index pregnancy compared with the younger siblings of mothers who had received iron plus folic acid (IFA) during the index pregnancy (Ghana) or during and for 3 months after the index pregnancy (Bangladesh). These findings do not indicate that preconception nutrition interventions do not improve child growth. Rather, they suggest that any benefits of maternal LNS or MMN supplementation during one pregnancy and for 6 months postpartum are unlikely to extend to the growth of her next child beyond any effects due to IFA alone.     

The association of early linear growth and haemoglobin concentration with later cognitive,motor, and social–emotional development at preschool age in Ghana

It is important to identify the periods during childhood when exposure to environmental risk factors results in long‐term neurodevelopmental deficits. Stunting and anaemia may be sensitive indicators of exposure to such risks. In a prospective cohort enrolled before birth, we investigated the association of developmental scores at 4–6 years with (a) birth length and linear growth during three postnatal periods and (2) haemoglobin (Hb) concentration at three time points. Children were participants in a follow‐up study of a randomized controlled trial of nutritional supplementation in Ghana. At 4–6 years, cognitive, motor, and social–emotional developments were assessed using standard tests adapted for this population. We estimated the associations of length‐for‐age z‐score (LAZ) at birth and postnatal linear growth (n = 710) and Hb (n = 617) with developmental scores in regression models, using multistage least squares analysis to calculate uncorrelated residuals for postnatal growth. Cognitive development at 4–6 years was significantly associated with LAZ at birth (β = 0.12, 95% CI = 0.05, 0.19), ΔLAZ from 6 to 18 months (β = 0.16, 95% CI = 0.04, 0.28), and Hb at 18 months (β = 0.13, 95% CI = 0.06, 0.20), but not with ΔLAZ during 0–6 months, ΔLAZ from 18 months to 4–6 years, Hb at 6 months, or Hb at 4–6 years. No evidence of associations with motor or social–emotional development were found. These results suggest that in similar contexts, the earlier periods prior to birth and up to 18 months are more sensitive to risk factors for long‐term cognitive development associated with LAZ and Hb compared with later childhood. This may inform the optimal timing of interventions targeting improved cognitive development.