Poor Background Research Articles

Inequities in child health in Luxembourg

Abstract Background In Luxembourg, despite its economic prosperity, 28.6 % of children are estimated to be at the risk of poverty. Research has shown that growing up with socioeconomic disadvantage is associated with worse physical and mental health in childhood. We explore the association of socioeconomic status with health, health behaviours and access to healthcare in Luxembourg for children up to age twelve. Methods We used data from 2014 to 2022 for 11-12 year old children from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) survey as well as social security data from Luxembourg for a similar time period and children 0 to 12 years old. To assess socioeconomic status, we used information on self-perceived household wealth for the HBSC results and stratified health and health behaviours by well-off, average, or less well-off households. For the social security data, we stratified access to care indicators by equivalized household income quintiles. Results We found that physical activity levels, nutritional quality and daily routines such as eating breakfast and brushing teeth are significantly lower in children from less affluent families. For example, 61% of 11-12-year-old children from well-off families reported eating breakfast every day, but only 41% of children from less well-off families. Only 23% of 11-12 year olds from less affluent families rated their health as excellent, compared to 52% of children from affluent families. There were similarly large differences for multiple health complaints, with 63% of children from less affluent families reporting this indicator for psychosomatic problems, compared to 34% of children from affluent families. We did not find differences in the use of pre- and postnatal care visits. Conclusions Socioeconomic differences in child health, mental health and health behaviours are large, with children from poorer households being in worse physical and mental health and less likely to report positive health behaviours. Key messages • Many children in Luxembourg face socioeconomic challenges that are adversely associated with health and health behaviours. The underlying reasons require further attention to improve child health. • Children from poorer backgrounds are in significantly worse mental health than children from better off families in Luxembourg.

Experience of Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis In Remote Area of Southeast Bangladesh

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a major public health problem that continues to increase in prevalence globally. The prevalence of chronic kidney disease is increasing day by day in low to middle income countries (LMICs). People living in LMICs have the highest need for renal replacement therapy (RRT) despite they have lowest access to various modalities of treatment. As continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) does not require advanced technologies, very much infrastructure, dialysis staff support, it should be an ideal form of RRT in LMICs, particularly for those living in remote areas. To authors knowledge there was scarcity of data regarding CAPD performance in remote area of Bangladesh. This study was aimed to report the characteristics and outcomes of CAPD in ESRD patients lived in least developed area of Bangladesh. Methods: This prospective study was conducted in Cox’sbazar Medical College Hospital, Cox’sbazar and Parkview hospital Ltd, Chattogram, Bangladesh. Data were collected by questionnaire from the patients of any age with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) who underwent CAPD in 2018–2021. The baseline characteristics, PD-related complication as well as patient and technique survivals were analyzed. Results: Out of 31 patients who underwent CAPD, 18 (58%) were male on the age range of 15–79 years. The mean follow-up duration was 18 months. Mortality was inversely related with the EF of echocardiography. The peritonitis rate was 0.48 episodes per patient per year. The 1, 3 and 4-year patient survival rates were 64.34% (95% CI = 52.5–81.5), 23.79% (95% CI = 17.9 – 57.4) and 3.22% (95% CI = 31.2–77.5) respectively. Conclusions: In this study, CAPD performance was poorer than usual reference. Cardiac compromised patient and inappropriate dwell might be the main contributing factors behind this scenario. The peritonitis rate was nearly similar to that of developed countries. CAPD was cost effective than HD in remote area. Some accessible measures may be taken to make CAPD a more acceptable RRT modality with improved outcomes in poor socioeconomic backgrounds area. J Dhaka Med Coll. 2023; 32(1) : 24-31

Challenges faced by school mangers in implementing national school nutrition programme in the Harry Gwala District, KwaZulu-Natal

The purpose of the study was to explore challenges experienced by school mangers in their role to implement the national school nutrition programme in schools of the Harry Gwala District, in KwaZulu-Natal. This article is extracted from a Ph.D. thesis in which a qualitative research design was used with sample of school managers who participate in the school nutrition programme. Data was gathered through individual interviews and document analysis. The findings indicated that school managers experienced challenges in the implementation of the programme such as compliance of Service Providers with delivery regulation, delayed payments of Service Providers, insufficient and poor food stuff supplied by Service Providers. However, on the other hand, nutrition programme benefited learners from poor background, reduced learner absenteeism and increased school enrolment. This posed a challenge to school managers as indicated in Maslow’s theory in the hierarchy of needs that provision should be made for meals at schools if they do not receive an adequate nutrition at home. On the basis of the findings, the following challenges were faced by school management: poor infrastructural development, insufficient time allocated to feeding, communication breakdown between NSNP educators and Service Providers, none payment of Service Providers on time.

Endemic Bladder Stone Disease in Children, Pattern And Current Management: Experience From A Centre In Peri-Urban Setting In Pakistan.

To share our recent experience of the pattern and demography of endemic bladder calculi in children and the outcomes of current management strategies for the removal of bladder calculi in a peri-urban setting. This retrospective longitudinal study was carried out at a dedicated urology centre. All patients with endemic bladder stones from January 2020 to December 2021 managed at our centre were included in this study. After discharge, each patient was followed up for 1 year. Data analysis was carried out with IBM SPSS v23. Mean and standard deviation were calculated for normally distributed continuous variables; for non-normally distributed continuous variables, median and IQR were calculated; frequency and percentage were calculated for categorical variables. This study included 254 patients, with a male-to-female ratio of 10.5:1. The mean age of the patients was 4.80 ± 2.86 years. Ninety-one percent of the patients belonged to rural areas. Open cystolithotomy (OC) was performed in 11 (4.3%) patients, transurethral cystolithotripsy (TUCL) in 165 (65.0%), and percutaneous cystolithotomy (PCCL) in 78 (30.7%). The mean operative time was 48.8 ± 4.34 minutes for TUCL, 36.18 ± 7.4 minutes for open cystolithotomy, and 38.6 ± 5.2 minutes for PCCL. The most common stone composition was ammonium urate + calcium phosphate (33.1%). The complication rate was 4.8% in TUCL, 12.8% in PCCL, and 27.3% in open cystolithotomy. Stone clearance was 98.1% for TUCL and 100% for both PCCL and OC. Paediatric bladder calculus is still endemic in rural areas of Sindh with poor socioeconomic backgrounds. Timely diagnosis and early intervention with preventive measures can lead to better outcomes and fewer complications. Minimally invasive methods of cystolithotomy have a shorter hospital stay, are more cost-effective, and have fewer complications as compared to open cystolithotomy.

Grayscale Iterative Star Spot Extraction Algorithm Based on Image Entropy

Star trackers are susceptible to interference from stray light, such as sunlight, moonlight, and Earth atmosphere light, in the space environment, resulting in an overall improvement in the star image grayscale, poor background uniformity, low star extraction rate, and high number of false star spots. In response to these challenges, this paper proposes a grayscale iterative star spot extraction algorithm based on image entropy. The implementation of the algorithm is mainly divided into two steps: (1) The algorithm conducts multiple grayscale iterations, effectively utilizing the prior information on the local contrast of star spots to filter out stray light backgrounds to a certain extent. (2) By establishing an inner–outer template, the image entropy algorithm is employed to obtain the real star targets to be extracted, which further suppresses the background clutter and noise. Numerical simulations and experimental results demonstrate that, compared to traditional detection algorithms, this algorithm can effectively suppress background stray light, enhance star extraction rates, and reduce the number of false star spots, and it exhibits superior detection performance in complex backgrounds across various scenarios.

Modelling the interrelationships between potential risk factors and childhood Co-morbidity of Malaria, Anaemia, and stunting in children less than five years in Burundi

BackgroundAnaemia, malaria, and stunting remain health problems, especially in children younger than five years, and those conditions are linked to morbidity and mortality. The main objective was to assess the relationships between anaemia, malaria, and stunting. Also, the current study aimed to understand the complex interrelationships between explanatory factors, and their direct or indirect relationship with childhood malaria, anaemia, and stunting in Burundi. MethodsThe study used secondary data from the Demographic and Health Survey in Burundi (BDHS) conducted on the March 7, 2017, with a weighted sample size of 13611 children younger than five years. A multivariate structural equation model (SEM) was used to evaluate the interrelationships between dependent variables and their direct or indirect relationship with childhood malaria, anaemia, and stunting. SEMs diverge from other techniques, as they look at the effects on hypothesised relationships from both direct and indirect perspectives (Takele et al., 2023) [1]. The variables with statistical significance were set at a p-value <0.05. ResultsThe findings from this study indicated an association between anaemia, malaria, and stunting (p < 0.001). The environmental and household factors were statistically significant (p < 0.038 and p < 0.001 respectively) and positively impacted childhood malaria, anaemia, and stunting. The results also indicated that the household factors were statistically significant (p < 0.001) predictors of childhood malaria, anaemia, and stunting. Furthermore, the findings from this study revealed that geophysical factors have a positive significant (p < 0.001) impact on childhood malaria, anaemia, and stunting via the mediating of the household factors. Contrastingly, with the environmental factors as a mediator, we observe a negative significant (p < 0.001) impact on childhood malaria, anaemia, and stunting. Lastly, the results showed that demographic factors had a negative significant (p = 0.004) effect on childhood anaemia, malaria, and stunting via the mediating of household factors. ConclusionThe findings from this study revealed an association between malaria, anaemia, and stunting, which imply that these conditions could contribute to collaborative improvements in child well-being. In addition, child demographic, household, environmental, and geographic factors were direct and indirect important drivers of childhood malaria, anaemia, and stunting. Therefore, improving sanitation, access to clean water, nutrition practices, and health care, especially for children from rural areas, and uneducated mothers with poor backgrounds could help to control and eliminate stunting, anemia, and malaria in children younger than five years in Burundi.

Parental Involvement and Home Background as Determinants of Students' Interest in Islamic Studies in Oyo North, Oyo State, Nigeria

The study aimed to examine the relationship between parental involvement and students' moral decadence among 1,400 SSS 2 Islamic Studies students in 9 Local Government Areas in Oyo North. Inadequate parental involvement and poor home backgrounds have been reported as factors responsible for moral decadence among youths. The study examined parental involvement and home background as determinants of moral decadence among senior secondary school students in Oyo North of Oyo state. Specifically, the study seeks to: examine parental involvement as a determinant of moral decadence among students in Oyo North of Oyo State. Two research questions with corresponding hypotheses were tested at a 0.05 level of significance. A descriptive research design of correlation was used. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data while the research hypotheses were analyzed using Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient and Multiple Regression Analysis. The paper showed that there is a significant relationship between parental home background and students’ moral decadence (Chi. 127.55; p.&lt;0.05). The study found that high parental involvement significantly reduces moral decadence among students in Oyo North, Oyo State. It also found that a good parental home background decreases this phenomenon. The study recommends parents improve their involvement in moral teaching, monitor their children's friends, communicate frequently, and serve as role models. It also suggests that parents should maintain a stable household and limit the number of children they can train properly to prevent moral decadence. This approach could help reduce or prevent moral decadence among students in Oyo North.

A Reparative Lens for Exploring Youth Aspirations in South African Universities

ABSTRACT In South Africa, low-income rural black youth are assumed to exhibit endurance in their higher education agency while yet not really being agentic, because they accommodate an oppressive university and settle for less ambitious aspirational horizons. Drawing on illustrative empirical data from a longitudinal study of black youth without hot knowledge of higher education to deploy from their families’ biographies, the project explored students’ accessing, participating in and moving on from their studies at five South African universities. In exploring youth aspirations and agency, the concept of repair is employed to position aspirations as reparative and temporal where past injustices, present and future intersect in shaping agency and in projecting imagined futures for youth. The cultural lens of aspiration offers a space to interrogate and dismantle past exclusions and unsettle norms of the “disadvantaged student” to avoid reinscribing past injustice in ways which are globally relevant to marginalised university students from poor backgrounds compared to better off students. It shows how day to day negotiated conditions of living in universities by these students are agentic; enduring poverty and exclusion is an active aspirational struggle for dignity and recognition, even if these students are not able to undo relations of power. Ubuntu is mobilised as an ontological means to further deepen how we understand aspirations and agency as interdependent and interacted between person and community and as refusal of the neoliberal university. Finally, features of universities as potential spaces of aspirations and repair for transformative change and transformative futures are sketched.

Medow Brite Enterprises: a growth strategy dilemma

Learning outcomes After completion of this case study, students will be able to understand about characteristics of urban poor in the city of Mumbai which will aid in understanding about other emerging markets as well, to apply Health Belief Model to help students analyse behaviour change model, to apply social marketing strategies to popularize a social marketing cause, to learn about non-traditional intermediaries and apply to promote a social marketing cause, to apply Ansoff matrix and evaluate various strategies for growth and to analyse various challenges faced by social entrepreneurs and enable learners to arrive at solutions (applicable for social entrepreneurs and marketing executives). Case overview/synopsis This case study looked at a Mumbai-based organization, Medow Brite Enterprises, which sold sanitary napkins under the brand FeelOn to women particularly from urban poor background. The protagonist Mrs Ameeta Neel Ramesh was at the helm of the organization and was stuck with a dilemma – whether to enter rural markets or focus on selling incinerators and aid in disposing used sanitary napkins which was adding to the volume of non-biodegradable waste in the city. In 2019, Ameeta made her first investment in Medow Brite. The organization had seen turbulent times during COVID-19 outbreak. However, Ameeta with her astute strategy, helped the company get back on its feet. Medow Brite instead of manufacturing started procuring quality sanitary napkins from specific vendors. In contrast to many other sanitary napkins available in the market, FeelOn had cotton sanitary napkin variant without presence of plastic in the pads. Ameeta had taken a different route for sale of her sanitary napkin, she conducted awareness sessions with the help of non-governmental organizations in various locations of Mumbai as well as Maharashtra. Post these sessions she sold her sanitary napkins among the attendees of the awareness sessions. Complexity academic level The case study can be included in marketing management course, consumer behaviour as well as social marketing courses in both undergraduate level and postgraduate level. In addition, the case study is also suitable for social entrepreneurs and marketing executives to discuss about non-traditional sales and marketing approaches, identifying unique segments and understanding behaviour change theories. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 8: Marketing.

Empowering rural parents to effectively contribute to their children’s education

The high level of inequality in South Africa has widened the gap between rural and urban schools, and the performance of rural schools has been continuously declining compared to urban schools. Poor performance in rural schools is perpetuated by parents being absent from their children’s education because the socio-economic conditions and their educational background do not allow them to commit their time and energy towards education. Learners are left on their own to decide their future. The disparity between rural and urban schooling was further exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. As schools were closed during lockdown, teaching and learning was suspended in rural schools, however, in urban schools teaching and learning continued through online platforms. The lockdowns gave parents an opportunity to teach, advocate, and create conducive spaces to help their children focus on learning. During lockdowns, parents were expected to act as teachers in their homes to educate their children, and therefore, school closure presented opportunities for parents to actively participate in their children’s education. However, their socio-economic conditions and poor educational backgrounds continue to threaten effective parental engagement, posing a threat to the academic success of rural learners. Despite attempts by the government to introduce school governing bodies in schools as a structure to integrate schools and parents, the problem of little parental engagement remains unresolved. The purpose with this study was to empower parents in rural areas to effectively participate in their children’s education.

The Impact of Implementing School Zoning Policy on Inequality of Access to Education at the Junior High School Level

The Indonesian government has implemented a school zoning policy to address the gap in access for students from poor economic backgrounds. However, in reality, the implementation of the policy has not made it easier for students from poor economic backgrounds. There is a need for this study because there is a gap between theory, expectations, and reality in the field. The purpose of the study was to analyze the impact of the school zoning policy on access for students from poor economic backgrounds to junior high schools. The research method used was a mixed method. The subjects of the study were junior high school students with a population of nine regions totaling 5,000 students from poor economic backgrounds and a sample of 850. Data collection techniques used surveys, observations, interviews, and documentation. Survey analysis techniques with descriptive statistics using SPSS Version 25.0 by assessing the mean, percentage, and standard deviation. Qualitative data analysis reduced the data and allowed the researchers to draw conclusions by comparing it with the results of quantitative data. The results of the study were that the school zoning policy in Indonesia is effective in reducing the gap in access for students from poor economic backgrounds in public junior high schools so that the distribution of students between schools becomes more even. However, there was a negative impact on some students from poor economic backgrounds if zoning access was limited. In conclusion, the school zoning policy can distribute students evenly between schools but most poor students cannot access public schools. Recommendations are made for research to be conducted by involving the government in a broader study.

APPLICATION OF EMOTIONAL REGULATION AND ACCEPTANCE-COMMITMENT THERAPIES IN ENHANCING ACADEMIC SURVIVAL OF PUBLIC SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN IBADAN METROPOLIS, NIGERIA

The public secondary school students are exposed to challenges such as low parental support, poor parental background, lack of conducive school environment, teachers’ negative attitude; poor finance to meet up basic needs at school and these resulted in inability to successfully complete their studies. The simple random sampling technique was used to select three local governments in the Ibadan Metropolis. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to test the hypotheses that were stated in this study. There was a significant main effect of treatments on academic survival (F2, 30 = 5.725, p &amp;lt; 0.05, η2 = 0.436), there was no significant main effect of academic self-efficacy in improving academic survival among participants (F2, 30 = 0.075, p &amp;gt; 0.05, partial η2 = .001). ACT and ERT were efficacious in improving academic survival among participants.&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt; Article visualizations:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;img src="/-counters-/soc/0851/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Electroencephalographic outcomes and predictors of epilepsy in autoimmune encephalitis

BackgroundAn abnormal EEG is pivotal in diagnosis, exclusion of mimickers and prognosticating epilepsy in Autoimmune Encephalitis (AE). However, little is known about the short and long term electroencephalographic outcomes and predictors of epilepsy in AE. This study aims to describe the seizure characteristics and electrophysiological markers of various AE subtypes and assess the clinical and electrophysiological predictors of autoimmune epilepsy. MethodsClinical features and EEGs in 74 patients (acute phase=39 and post-acute phase defined after a minimum eight weeks after acute phase=35) of AE fulfilling the proposed criteria were reviewed in their respective acute phases and at six months follow-up. ResultsThe mean age of presentation (N = 74, 45 females) was 21.8 (21.8 ± 17.0) years. 38 (51 %) patients were <18 years. Seizures were present in 55 (74 %) patients with poor response to ASMs (p = 0.039). 39 (52.7 %) EEGs were abnormal in acute phase. Anti-NMDAR AE had most frequently abnormal EEG (63.4 %). Poor background reactivity and theta range slowing were most common abnormalities. FIRDA, EDB and delta range slowing were seen in seropositive AE (P = 0.003). Mutism, psychiatric features and incontinence correlated with abnormal EEG (p = 0.013, p = 0.028 and p = 0.025). Background slowing and epileptiform discharges predicted worse cognitive scores at follow-up (p = 0.012). Eight (11.9 %) patients developed epilepsy. Status epilepticus at presentation (p = 0.009), seronegative status (p = 0.0020), delayed initiation of immunotherapy (p = 0.012), abnormal MRI (p = 0.003) and abnormal EEG (p = 0.004) at onset indicate development of autoimmune epilepsy ConclusionsFIRDA, EDB and delta range slowing with refractory seizures suggest AE. Epileptiform abnormalities, status epilepticus and seronegativity predict autoimmune epilepsy.

Refining maritime Automatic Speech Recognition by leveraging synthetic speech

Maritime transport serves as a critical component of global trade and logistics, enabling the movement of goods and resources across oceans and waterways. Especially in busy waterways and ports, effective and accurate communication is essential, as it ensures the seamless exchange of information and the coordinated execution of port activities. However, comprehensibility is often hindered by factors such as poor audio quality, background noise, and diverse languages and accents. Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) systems can mitigate these issues by providing real-time transcription and enabling the implementation of automated, value-adding services to enhance situational awareness. While pre-trained ASR models excel on general speech, maritime ASR faces unique challenges due to a lack of annotated data, diverse accents, and specialized terminology.To this end, we focus on improving the transcription quality of pre-trained ASR models for maritime communication with a particular focus on accurately recognizing maritime-specific terminology such as vessel and location names. Due to the scarcity of transcribed maritime communication, we create a synthetic training dataset tailored to regional maritime terminology. The synthetic audio is augmented with general human speech and used to fine-tune an end-to-end ASR model under various settings. The evaluation of the models employs a proprietary dataset of regional maritime radio communication from the port of Hamburg.The experimental results demonstrate a notable enhancement in ASR performance. Specifically, our approach yields an absolute improvement over the pre-trained baseline of 13.46% Word-Error-Rate and an increase of 41.57% recall for vessel names and 38.65% recall for locations. Our findings underscore the efficacy of integrating synthetic training data to address the challenges encountered in maritime ASR, paving the way for more robust and accurate speech recognition systems tailored to maritime applications.

Assessment of Caesarean Section Outcomes for Preterm Pregnancies in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Bangladesh

A cross-sectional, observational study was conducted in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Community Based Medical College, Bangladesh (CBMC,B), Mymensingh, Bangladesh, to evaluate the indications and feto-maternal outcomes of Caesarean section operation among preterm pregnant women. A total of 120 patients were enrolled between January and December of 2023. Data collection involved a structured questionnaire, file review, historical inquiry, and monitoring of mother and baby. Most individuals were aged 15-20 (37.50%) and had tertiary education (75.00%). Majority were from poor socio-economic backgrounds (76.67%) and rural areas (70%). Primigravida cases were predominant (65.00%), and multiparous accounted for 36.67%. Eclampsia (21.67%) and preeclampsia (20.83%) were common indications for cesarean section. Most procedures were emergency (93.33%). Maternal complications were low, with 64.17% having none. Most infants had low birth weight (62.50%) and experienced live births (91.67%), with a notable stillbirth rate (8.33%). Fetal complications included low birth weight (88.33%) and prematurity (20%). No complications were noted in 31.67% of cases. The study examined the complexities of Cesarean section (CS) for preterm births, highlighting maternal-fetal factors, varied indications, and outcomes, urging tailored interventions. CBMJ 2024 July: vol. 13 no. 02 P: 243-250

Perspectives of Teachers on Learning: A Glance on the Reading Proficiency of Kindergarten Learners

This study aimed to describe the experiences of kindergarten teachers in regards to the reading problem issue of kindergarten learners in Samal District, Island Garden City of Samal. The participants were the ten kindergarten teachers, utilizing phenomenological design to explore their challenges, perceived coping mechanisms on the issue and insights. A semi- structured interview guide was used to gather the data. Ethical considerations were observed in data collection. Thematic content analysis was used to extract the themes. The findings were: were poor background knowledge, low phonological awareness skills, local language diversity, limited exposure to reading materials, engagement and attention span struggles, and economic scarcity are the main challenges; the identified teachers’ perception on the reading situations of students in coping with the issues are use of differentiated instruction, individualized support, continuous assessment and monitoring, and collaborative efforts; and importance of early intervention, recognition of learners’ diversity, continual assessment and improvement, family and community engagement, and teacher’s professional development are the insights drawn. The recommendation included allocating resources, funding, and support services by the Department of Education specifically targeted at addressing early literacy disparities and improving outcomes for students at risk of reading difficulties.

Risk Factors and Outcome of Early Puerperium Following Caesarean Section

Introduction: The postpartum period, or puerperium, typically lasts six weeks following childbirth and is crucial for the reversal of pregnancy-induced anatomical and physiological changes. This period is often divided into three stages: immediate, early, and remote puerperium. Early puerperium, the first week after childbirth, is critical due to the heightened risk of complications, especially following cesarean sections (CS). Objective: This study aims to investigate the prevalence and types of early puerperal complications in women undergoing elective and emergency cesarean sections. Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted in the Obstetrics and Gynecology department at Enam Medical College Hospital, Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Hospital records from January 2015 to December 2015 were reviewed, including 100 women who had undergone cesarean sections. Data on demographic characteristics, antenatal care, risk factors, and types of early puerperal morbidities were collected and analyzed using SPSS version 20. Results: The study found that 55% of the participants were aged 21-30 years, 70% belonged to poor socioeconomic backgrounds, and 90% were housewives. A significant 70% of the women had not received any antenatal care. The most prevalent risk factors for early puerperal morbidities were obstructed labor (40%) and prolonged labor (30%). Common complications included wound infections (50%), endomyometritis (45%), and urinary tract infections (35%). Conclusion: Early puerperal complications are prevalent among women who undergo cesarean sections, particularly those from low socioeconomic backgrounds with inadequate antenatal care. Addressing these issues through improved prenatal and postnatal care and better access to skilled birth attendants can potentially reduce these complications and enhance maternal health outcomes.

Predictors of Optical Coherence Tomography-Defined Calcified Nodules in Patients With Acute Coronary Syndrome - A Substudy From the TACTICS Registry.

Recent studies suggest that the presence of calcified nodules (CN) is associated with worse prognosis in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). We investigated clinical predictors of optical coherence tomography (OCT)-defined CN in ACS patients in a prospective multicenter registry.Methods and Results: We investigated 695 patients enrolled in the TACTICS registry who underwent OCT assessment of the culprit lesion during primary percutaneous coronary intervention. OCT-CN was defined as calcific nodules erupting into the lumen with disruption of the fibrous cap and an underlying calcified plate. Compared with patients without OCT-CN, patients with OCT-CN (n=28) were older (mean [±SD] age 75.0±11.3 vs. 65.7±12.7 years; P<0.001), had a higher prevalence of diabetes (50.0% vs. 29.4%; P=0.034), hemodialysis (21.4% vs. 1.6%; P<0.001), and Killip Class III/IV heart failure (21.4% vs. 5.7%; P=0.003), and a higher preprocedural SYNTAX score (median [interquartile range] score 15 [11-25] vs. 11 [7-19]; P=0.003). On multivariable analysis, age (odds ratio [OR] 1.072; P<0.001), hemodialysis (OR 16.571; P<0.001), and Killip Class III/IV (OR 4.466; P=0.004) were significantly associated with the presence of OCT-CN. In non-dialysis patients (n=678), age (OR 1.081; P<0.001), diabetes (OR 3.046; P=0.014), and Killip Class III/IV (OR 4.414; P=0.009) were significantly associated with the presence of OCT-CN. The TACTICS registry shows that OCT-CN is associated with lesion severity and poor clinical background, which may worsen prognosis.

Nexus of Socio-economic Background of Parents and Malnutrition of Children in Kanam Communities of Plateau State, Nigeria

This study examined the socio-economic background and knowledge of parents as well as the malnutrition status of children aged 6-59 Months in Kanam Communities, Plateau State. A total population of 697 parents was sampled based on their attendance at the various meetings held in the communities, with the researchers as respondents to research questions 1 and 3. For research question 2, Body Mass Index (BMI) of 511 children whose parents consented were screened. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected through semi-structured questionnaires from the participants. Data entry and statistical analysis were carried out using SPSS Software Version 26 and Microsoft Excel. Descriptive Statistics like frequency and percentage were employed to provide answers to the research questions raised in the study. The major findings show that the socio-economic background of the parents was poor in terms of educational level, yearly income, settlement residence, and family size. Another interesting finding shows that mothers were more involved at the interaction level with children than fathers. It was also established that there was a high rate of malnutrition among children in the communities. Recommendations made include the need for stakeholders to improve the preparation of nutritious food. Federal, State, and Local Governments and other stakeholders should take bold steps to reduce poverty and hardship among parents, especially those in rural communities with poor socio-economic backgrounds, through poverty alleviation programmes. Finally, parents need to be properly educated on childcare practices that can improve their daily lives and reduce the challenges involved when a child is malnourished.

A Rare Case of Human Urogenital Myiasis Caused by Chironomus crassicaudatus (Diptera: Chironomidae) from Kolkata, India

Infestation by the Dipteran insect larvae is one of the public health problems in tropical countries, including India. Calliphorid flies are reported to cause various types of myiases, including urogenital myiasis. Besides, non-myiasis-producing flies also occasionally invade human or animal tissues and cause myiasis. For the first time, we report here, an uncommon type of myiasis of the urogenital system due to an infestation by Chironomus larvae. A 19 year-old female patient from a poor socio-economic background from Kolkata, India attended the outpatient department with a complaint of passing worms in her urine with one-to-five larvae, several times a day, for four weeks. Another member of the family had a similar complaint. The larvae isolated from the patient were identified to be Chironomus crassicaudatus (Diptera: Chironomidae). It was probable that Chironomid flies breeding in and around the dwellings had infested the urethra. The patient was successfully treated with albendazole. Implementing overall environmental and personal hygienic living conditions, eliminating fly breeding habitats, and avoiding sharing of a common toilet facility are important measures to avoid such kind of fly infestation.