Parvovirus B19 antibodies and correlates of infection in pregnant women attending an antenatal clinic in central Nigeria

Human parvovirus B19 infection is associated with spontaneous abortion, hydrops foetalis, intrauterine foetal death, erythema infectiosum (5th disease), aplastic crisis and acute symmetric polyarthropathy. However, data concerning Nigerian patients with B19 infection have not been published yet. The purpose of this study was to establish the prevalence of B19 IgG and IgM antibodies, including correlates of infection, among pregnant women attending an antenatal clinic in Nigeria. Subsequent to clearance from an ethical committee, blood samples were collected between August-November 2008 from 273 pregnant women between the ages of 15-40 years who have given their informed consent and completed self-administered questionnaires. Recombinant IgG and IgM enzyme linked immunosorbent assay kits (Demeditec Diagnostics, Germany) were used for the assays. Out of the 273 participants, 111 (40.7%) had either IgG or IgM antibodies. Out of these, 75 (27.5%) had IgG antibodies whereas 36 (13.2%) had IgM antibodies, and those aged 36-40 years had the highest prevalence of IgG antibodies. Significant determinants of infection (p < 0.05) included the receipt of a blood transfusion, occupation and the presence of a large number of children in the household. Our findings have important implications for transfusion and foeto-maternal health policy in Nigeria. Routine screening for B19 IgM antibodies and accompanying clinical management of positive cases should be made mandatory for all Nigerian blood donors and women of childbearing age.

Variation of some chemical and functional properties of Bambara groundnut (Voandzeia Subterranean L. Thouars) during sort time storage

Abstract The storage susceptibility of Bambara groundnut (B. G.) (Voandzeia Subterranean (L.) Thouars) to Callosobruchus maculatus and chemical and functional properties of 11 varieties form Far-North of Cameroon were investigate using standard analytical methods. Storage susceptibility shown that, after five months within treatment, C. maculatus destroy 10 to 50% of grains. The chemical characteristics of none attack grains of 11 varieties were range to 18.64 at 21.08%, 6.85 at 7.44%, 49.75 at 52.68% and to 6.05 at 7.55% respectively for protein, fat, starch and free carbohydrate. These chemical characteristics significantly (p < 0.05) decreases form attacks varieties. For the functional parameters, the none attacks grains was range of 130 at 135%, 19.15 at 20.91%, 18.20 at 21.13%, 2.76 at 3.21% and of 8.54 at 10.14% respectively for water capacity absorption, solubility index, gel length, ash and humidity. The results of this study indicated that storage susceptibility, chemical and functional properties of B. G. be dependant to the varieties.

PARALOGISMI E ANTINOMIE. RIFLESSIONI KANTIANE SUI CONCETTI DI SEELE E ICH DENKE

Il presente studio intende esaminare la presenza, nella sezione della Dialektik dedicata alla questione della Seele e ai paralogismi psicologici, di un approccio "antinomico" per ciò che concerne, in particolar modo, la questione della semplicità dell'anima. Nell'esame della tesi di Mendelssohn in merito all'incorruttibilità dell'anima, Kant mostra infatti come sia possibile assumere, accanto al criterio "estensivo", un criterio "intensivo" che porta all'affermazione della tesi della "scomponibilità" dell'anima e di una sua possibile annihilatio per remissionem. Come accade nelle antinomie, ci si trova in questo modo di fronte a due tesi in merito alla "semplicità" dell'anima in sé non-contraddittorie, ma in reciproca contrapposizione. Tali riflessioni compiute nell'edizione del 1787 (riflessioni che sembrano riprendere da vicino e perfezionare le considerazioni comparse nella Kritik del 1781 circa la semplicità del "soggetto pensante" e dell'Ich denke) trovano, a mio avviso, un'interessante "proposta di soluzione" all'interno della seconda antinomia matematica.