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Soils are the basic and most important resources of any people. Differences in soil’s physical and chemical properties are related to the spatial distribution of land uses. Most of these human activities generate toxic substances that are transported considerable distances away from source and become accumulated in soils, sediment, water bodies and fisheries. Urban soils are largely affected by impact of urbanization whose consumptive pattern is related to the social and economic aspect of the society. The study deployed contaminant factor (CF) and geo-accumulation index (Igeo) to examine the differences in the urban soils of Lagos Mainland Area due to human activities. The topsoils of the predominant human activities identified in the area were sampled and analyzed to find out the differences in the soils due to the concentration of heavy metals among six land use types. The coefficient of variation and standard deviation techniques were deployed to study the degree of variation and compare the mean values of soil physical and chemical properties of twelve representative topsoils collected from six locations. All metals analyzed showed significant (p

This study assessed combustion and potash production as options for management of wood waste. The percentage reduction in volume by combustion and potash generation potential of wood waste from nine different common species of wood obtained from a wood factory in Ibadan were evaluated. Potash from the ashes was extracted with distilled water through a system of filtration. The amount of ash, in kilogram per cubic metre of saw dust, and the amount of potash, in kilogram per cubic metre of ash and kilogram per cubic metre of saw dust were determined. The volume of sawdust was reduced by 95% after combustion. The ash generated ranged between 1.42 – 15.18 Kg/m3; potash yield ranged between 4.74 – 53.76 Kg/m3 of ashes and 0.21 – 1.53 Kg/m3 of saw dust.

We investigate the problem of optimally reversing the action of an arbitrary quantum channel C which acts independently on each component of an ensemble of n identically prepared d -dimensional quantum systems. In the limit of large ensembles, we construct the optimal reversing channel R ^☆ _n which has to be applied at the output ensemble state, to retrieve a smaller ensemble of m systems prepared in the input state, with the highest possible rate m / n . The solution is found by mapping the problem into the optimal reversal of Gaussian channels on multimode quantum-classical continuous variable systems, which is solved here as well. Our general results can be readily applied to improve the implementation of robust long-distance quantum communication. As an example, we investigate the optimal reversal rate of phase flip channels acting on a multi-qubit register.

Setting: National teaching hospital for the management of respiratory diseases, Cotonou, Benin., Objective: 1) To estimate the prevalence of lung function impairment (LFI) and associated factors in patients cured of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB); and 2) to determine the link between human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and LFI occurrence., Design: We performed a cross-sectional study in cured patients with smear-positive TB (PTB+) treated between 2012 and 2015. We recruited two control groups of 70 HIV-infected (HIV+/TB-) and 70 HIV-negative participants without TB (HIV-/TB-). We performed spirometry in all participants to identify LFI (obstructive, restrictive or mixed) and the 6-min walk test (6-MWT) in PTB+ participants. We assessed the factors associated with LFI using logistic regression., Results: Of 4711 subjects with PTB, 241 were contacted and 189 were included. The median age was 37 years; 128 (68.0%) were male. Overall, 85 cured PTB+ patients had LFI (45.0%). Extent of initial radiological lesions, time between symptom onset and treatment, and female sex were independently associated with LFI. Fifty-five (29.1%) cured PTB+ patients had an abnormal 6-MWT; those with LFI had a higher risk of poor exercise tolerance (OR 2.23; interquartile range 1.16-4.30). We did not find any association between HIV infection and LFI., Conclusion: LFI is very common in cured PTB+ patients from Benin and significantly impacts exercise tolerance.

The usual clinical feature of mitochondrial toxicity is proximal myopathy. We present the report case of palpebral ptosis which occurred under zidovudine therapy The symptom remission was obtained by stopping the antiretroviral therapy. This involves an important vigilance from both doctor and patient.

Background: The incidence and risk factors for lipodystrophy and metabolic disorders among patients in Africa on first-line combined antiretroviral treatment (cART) mostly containing non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors is poorly documented., Methods: This prospective cohort study recruited 88 HIV-infected patients initiating cART between October 2004 and June 2005 in Cotonou, Benin. Patients were followed for 24 months. The main outcomes were incidence of lipodystrophy and metabolic disorders. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to describe factors associated with progression to lipodystrophy., Results: After a median follow-up of 23.2 months (interquartile range 22.3-23.7), 24 (30%) patients developed lipodystrophy (lipoatrophy 9%, lipohypertrophy 24% and mixed pattern 2.5%). The incidence rate for lipodystrophy was estimated to 1.72 per person-month (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.15-2.56) occurring after a median time of 11 months on cART. Metabolic syndrome (International Diabetes Federation definition) appeared in 10 (13%) patients after a median of 15 months with an estimated incidence rate of 0.62 per person-month (95% CI 0.33-1.16). It was more common in women (19.2% versus 3.1% in men; P=0.043). Diabetes (8%) and hypercholesterolaemia (35%) were also observed. After adjustment, gender, young age (hazard ratio [HR] 0.45 [95% CI 0.22-0.90]; P=0.025), high BMI at inclusion (HR 1.53 [95% CI 1.28-1.83]; P<0.0001) and smoking (HR 28.0 [95% CI 2.5-307.4]; P=0.006) were significantly associated with lipohypertrophy., Conclusions: Lipodystrophy and metabolic syndrome were commonly and rapidly observed in this cohort of sub-Saharan patients initiating cART.

Objectives: Evaluate the tolerance of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) on PLWHA treated in Cotonou to improve the quality of their follow up., Methods: Retrospective study among PLWHA aged > or = 15 years, treated by HAART during the period February 2002 - January 2004 and who respond to one or more consultation of follow up. Adverse effects (AE) revealed by patients or noticed by the physician are analyzed., Results: The study on 130 PLWHA, revealed 62,3% receiving HAART with nonnucleoside reverse transcription inhibitor and 37,7% with protease inhibitor. 75,4% presented one or more AE. Those AE were severe for 4,6% (6 patients). The frequency of AE was significantly different by drugs used. The most common events were neurosensorial (64,6%), digestive (34,6%) and dermatologic (14,6%). 2/3 of PLWHA presented AE within the first fifteen days of treatment. The patients were compliant. Only one patient stopped voluntary the treatment., Conclusion: The frequency and the type of AE occurred predispose patients to the non observance. Their follow up must therefore include education and surveillance guided by the profile of AE identified.