Search

BackgroundApproximately 200 million women and girls were reported to have undergone female genital mutilation worldwide in 2015.UNICEF's data based on household survey estimates 15% of women from 15-49 years have undergone FGM from year 2004-2015. Despite this, reliable data on trend of prevalence of female genital mutilation and its associated birth outcomes have not been documented in Tanzania. This study aimed at determining the trends of female genital mutilation and associated maternal and neonatal adverse outcomes in northern Tanzania.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted using maternally-linked data from Kilimanjaro Christian Medical birth registry involving 30,286 women who gave birth to singletons from 2004-2014. The prevalence of female genital mutilation was computed as proportion of women with female genital mutilation yearly over 10 years. Odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals for adverse birth outcomes associated with female genital mutilation were estimated using multivariable logistic regression model.ResultsOver the 10-year period, the prevalence of female genital mutilation averaged 15.4%. Female genital mutilation decreased from 23.6% in 2005 to 10.6% in 2014. Female genital mutilation was associated with increased odds for caesarean section (aOR1.26; 95% CI: 1.18-1.34), post-partum haemorrhage (aOR 1.31; 95% CI: 1.10-1.57) and long hospital stay (aOR 1.21; 95% CI: 1.14-1.29). Female genital mutilation also increased women's likelihood of delivering an infant with low Apgar score at 5th minute (aOR 1.60; 95% CI: 1.37-1.89).FGM type III and IV had increased odds of caesarean section, episiotomy and prolonged duration of hospital stay as compared to FGM type I and II, although the association was statistically insignificant.ConclusionFemale genital mutilation prevalence has declined over the study period. Our study has demonstrated that postpartum haemorrhage, delivery by caesarean section, long maternal hospital stays and low APGAR score are associated with FGM. Initiatives to mitigate FGM practice should be strengthened further to reduce/eliminate this practice. Moreover, surgical interventions to improve severe form FGM are welcomed to improve the aforementioned aspects of obstetric outcome in this locality.

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been widely spreading all over the world since the beginning of 2020. World Health Organization, on January 30^th^ 2020, declared the spread of COVID-19 to be a "public health emergency of international concern" (PHEIC). As of March 25^th^ 2020, 414,179 cases and 18,440 deaths due to COVID-19 had been reported worldwide. The disease is transmitted via inhalation or contact with infected droplets. The incubation period ranges from 2 to 14 days and can reach up to 21 days. Many people are asymptomatic. The estimated fatality rate ranges from 2%−3%. Special molecular tests are being used to detect the virus in respiratory secretions. Elevated levels of C-reactive protein have been detected in the blood sample, while the white blood cell counts were considered normal. The computerized tomographic chest scan is usually abnormal even in those with no symptoms or mild disease. Current treatment options are essentially supportive, as the role of antiviral agents is yet to be established. Preventative measures can be utilized to slow the spread of infection, such as isolation of suspected cases or those with mild symptoms and strict infection control measures at hospitals. Though the virus is far more infectious than its two ancestors, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), 2019-nCoV has a lower mortality rate. To date, the impact of this pandemic is uncertain, and the global research community is working diligently to find a satisfactory therapy. Several reports on *Nigella sativa* have been published, motivating us to review recent publications to summarize and investigate its possible therapeutic effect on the immune response and its potential to treat bacterial and viral infections, including COVID-19. For the advanced stage of the disease, we suggest using biological targeted magnetic hyperthermia. This can be used as adjuvant therapy, namely pseudo- adjuvant magnetic hyperthermia (PAMH).

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been widely spreading all over the world since the beginning of 2020. World Health Organization, on January 30th, 2020, declared the spread of COVID-19 to be a “public health emergency of international concern” (PHEIC). As of January 8th, 2021, 89,107,341 COVID-19 cases and 1,916,087 deaths due had been reported. The disease is transmitted via inhalation or contact with infected droplets. The incubation period ranges from 2 to 14 days and can reach up to 21 days. Many people are asymptomatic. The estimated fatality rate ranges from 2%−3%. Special molecular tests are being used to detect the virus in respiratory secretions. Elevated levels of C-reactive protein have been detected in the blood sample, while the white blood cell counts were considered normal. The computerized tomographic chest scan is usually abnormal even in those with no symptoms or mild disease. Current treatment options are essentially supportive, as the role of antiviral agents is yet to be established. Preventative measures can be utilized to slow the spread of infection, such as isolation of suspected cases or those with mild symptoms and strict infection control measures at hospitals. Though the virus is far more infectious than its two ancestors, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), 2019-nCoV has a lower mortality rate. To date, the impact of this pandemic is uncertain, and the global research community is working diligently to find a satisfactory therapy. To date, there is no approved oral treatment.

The continuously growing number of mobile users demonstrates that more and more users seek to benefit from the freedom afforded without the need for cables, time and place. The mobility is the driving force behind the new global economy, with mobile banking, banks offer a new revolutionize services and giving their consumers more options than ever before. This study aimed to: (1) Investigate consumers' expectations and attitudes towards mobile banking in Jordan. (2) Identify the problems that organizations and consumers encounter while adopting or using mobile banking. (3) Measure the level of consumers' perceived usefulness (PU), perceived ease of use (PEOU), attitude towards using (ATU), behavioral intention to use (BI), and the actual use (AU) of mobile banking. Data for this study have been collected using a questionnaire containing 44 questions. Out of 325 questionnaires that have been distributed, 275 are returned (84.6%). As a result of this study it appeared that if consumers have positive Attitudes towards mobile banking, they would rely on it to conduct their banking transactions. This study finds that Jordanian consumers rely on wireless devices (Mobile) for their banking transactions, which leads to the actual use of this new technology, taking into consideration trust as a factor that could affect the success of using mobile banking in Jordan. This study gives quantified indicators about mobile banking and a model that might help in understanding the mobile banking environment in Jordan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The advent of web services and the semantic web have opened up opportunities for a new generation of interoperable systems on the web. The purpose of this paper is to show the importance of semantics in design and construction, and how this has long been recognised and addressed to varying extents by researchers. Design/methodology/approach - There is now the potential for designs to be developed through a system of collaborating design services and for input by the construction team members. The potential also extends to the construction phase where the designers can provide more timely responses to problems encountered in the field. Within this environment, there is the need for effective mechanisms for design and construction information management, in addition to an ontology that facilitates the sharing of design and construction information and the underlying semantics. This paper explores these trends in collaborative design and construction, and presents an ontology-based approach to project information management in a semantic web environment. Findings - The findings include a framework for semantic web-based information management (SWIMS), which provides for effective collaborative information management. Examples, based on design and construction information, are presented to illustrate the key concepts. Originality/value - This paper presents an innovative approach to overcoming the limitations of conventional information management approaches in construction. The proposed approach is expected to enhance collaboration, and avoid information loss, overload and misunderstanding, [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The thermal stabilities of bis salicylidene adipic dihydrazone derivatives and their complexes with divalent Mn, Co, Ni, Cu and Zn were studied and discussed in terms of structure and type of metal ions. TG curves display mostly four steps of thermal decomposition. The first step is due to dehydration, then the elimination of the acetate anions followed by the decomposition of the ligand in two interacting steps. The activation energies E a were evaluated and discussed in accordance with the structure of the complexes which have been previously characterized by elemental analysis and IR spectra. It was found that the activation energies of the complexes based on bis salicylidene adipic dihydrazone were higher than those of the dihydroxy derivative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two novel supramolecular complexes of types UO2(L)(H2L)(OH2)2 and UO2(HLn)2 (OAc)2 (H2L is a potential fourdentate ligand derived from hydrazine hydrate and malonylchloride and HLn is a potential bidentate ligand derived from coupling of allylazo-β-diketone) have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analyses, conductance and spectral (1H-NMR, IR and electronic) measurements. The first type of complex contains terminal hydrazinic nitrogen atoms with an unshared electron pair and may take part in nucleophilic condensations. Therefore, the reactions of these complexes with allyl-β-diketone and/or malonic dihydrazide, which cause ring closure and formation of supramolecular macrocyclic ligand complexes, have also been studied. Two types of supramolecular cyclic products have been isolated by carrying out the reactions by different methods. The uranyl complexes are six coordinate. The IR spectra of these cyclic products are reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Proton-monomeric ligand dissociation and metal-monomeric ligand stability constants of 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonic acid with several metal ions were determined potentiometrically in water and 0.1 M KC1. In the presence of 2,2'-azobisisobutyronitrile as an initiator, the dissociation and stability constants of AMS were determined for the polymeric form (PAMS). The influence of temperature on the dissociation of AMS and the stability constants of their complexes in monomeric and polymeric forms were studied. The vinyl group in the monomeric form decreases the electron density and hence reduces the N-H bond strength (lower pK[supH],[sub2] value). The stability constants of the metal complexes in the polymeric form (better complexing agent) are larger than those of the monomeric form. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The thermal decompositions of cobalt(II), nickel(II) and copper(II) complexes of4-(3'-sulfonylazido-6'-methoxyphenylazo)-1-phenyl-3-methyl-2-pyrazolin-5-one H(D1–SO2N3) and 4-(4'-sulfonylazido phenylazo)-3-phenyl-3-methyl-2-pyrazolin-5-one H(D2–SO2N3) were studied by thermogravimetry. The decomposition in all cases takes place along two stages. The first stage is due to the elimination of water and nitrogen molecules with the formation of tetracoordinate complexes containing nitrene reactive species[M(DSO2N:)2]. The second stage represents the decomposition of the material to the metal oxide. The kinetics of the decomposition were examined by using Coats–Redfern, the decomposition in all complexes was found to be first order for the first and second stages. The activation energies and other activation parameters (Δ H* and Δ S* and Δ G*) were computed and related to the bonding and stereochemistry of the complexes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]