As part of a series of investigations on the control of fine finger movements in the macaque, spontaneous use of the hand in grooming, scratching, and manipulation was observed before and after interruption of fasciculus cuneatus (FC). Videotaped observations were made of four stumptail macaques (Macaca arctoides) living outdoors in social groups. The monkeys were followed for 1 to 3 years postoperatively. For the first 2 weeks following surgery, all monkeys neglected the affected hand and did not use it for support, locomotion, climbing, scratching, foraging, or grooming. Recovery of gross arm and hand movements occurred over a 1- to 3-month period. All the monkeys eventually used the hand for support, climbing, and object manipulation, but fine control of the fingers did not recover. Also, there was an apparent hypotonia of the fingers, imparting a "floppy" appearance to the hand. The animals coped with the loss of fine control by decreasing the frequency of some behaviors, eliminating others, and developing alternative strategies. Exploratory movements that were utilized for investigating the anogenital area or foraging for small food items were eliminated by FC interruption. There were obvious deficits in grip formation and grasp of small food objects (see Glendinning et al., this issue), but effects on similar movements during grooming only became obvious after repeated inspection of videotaped records. Self-scratching and sweeps of the hand in grooming were preserved but altered in form and frequency. The component movements in these behaviors were relatively uncoordinated, and the fingers were splayed (abducted). Often the hand was formed in a rigid posture throughout the sweeping motion, and the fingers did not stroke the skin individually. Frame-by-frame analysis of videotapes revealed that the morphology of the precision grip during grooming, in movements termed "plucks," was permanently altered. Preoperatively, the monkeys kept the index finger and thumb closely apposed and routinely made contact on the distal surfaces of the digits, as has been described for precision grip in humans. Postoperatively, this relationship was altered. The index finger frequently missed the thumb tip and made contact on the proximal part of the phalanx, or missed the thumb altogether. Thus, the dorsal column input is important for proprioceptive guidance of movements that achieve "tactile foveation," when objects or surfaces are actively contacted by the receptive areas of keenest sensitivity (on the fingertips).

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BackgroundAnemia and malnutrition remain a public health challenge in developing worlds. Anemia during a nonpregnant state is one of the neglected medical conditions affecting reproductive-age women around the world. Globally, it is estimated that one-third of all reproductive-age women are anemic. Although it has negative consequences and extensive burden, anemia in nonreproductive-age women is rarely studied in Africa. In Ethiopia, studies investigating anemia and malnutrition among nonpregnant reproductive-age women are limited. Therefore, this study was aimed to assess intestinal parasitic infection, malnutrition, and predictors of anemia among nonpregnant reproductive-age women in Olenchity General Hospital, central Ethiopia.MethodsA facility-based cross-sectional study design was employed among 405 nonpregnant reproductive-age women in Olenchity General Hospital, central Ethiopia from February 14 to March 24, 2018. Data were collected using a pretested interviewer-administered questionnaire. Blood samples were collected and tested to determine hemoglobin levels by using a hematology analyzer machine. Collected data were entered into EpiData version 3.02 and exported to SPSS version 20 (IBM SPSS Statistics, 2012) for further analysis. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was done to identify factors independently associated with anemia after controlling for possible confounders. Statistical significance was declared at p-value <0.05.ResultOverall, the magnitude of anemia was found to be 47.4% [95% CI (42.7, 52.6)], of which 34.8% were mild, 11.4% were moderate, and 1.2% were severely anemic. The prevalence of intestinal parasitic infection, wasting, and overweight was 34.6%, 26.2%, and 8.1%, respectively. Having no formal education [AOR=2.25, CI (1.02, 4.97)], using three to five sanitary pads per day during menses [AOR=1.66 CI (1.02, 2.68)], history of chewing khat [AOR= 4.45, CI (1.18, 16.83)], being from households with mild food insecurity [AOR=3.41, CI (1.10, 10.58)], and intestinal parasitic infection [AOR=2.28, CI (1.39, 3.47)] were factors independently associated with anemia.ConclusionThe magnitude of anemia, malnutrition, and intestinal parasitic infection among nonpregnant reproductive-age women was found to be a considerable public health problem. Therefore, attention should be given to nonpregnant reproductive-age women visiting different healthcare services to reduce risks of anemia and malnutrition for possible future pregnancies and to ensure women’s health. Deworming of nonpregnant reproductive-age women is also very crucial to reduce the risks of anemia.

IntroductionInfertility is one of the public health problems affecting a significant number of women in the reproductive age group. Although female fertility is predominantly affected by gynecological and systemic diseases, lifestyle and nutritional factors also play an important role in secondary female infertility. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the pooled prevalence of secondary female infertility and its association with undernutrition using nationwide data from the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) of eastern African countries.MethodsThe data of ten East African countries that comprise a weighted sample of 38,020 women data were accessed from measure DHS. Data processing and analysis were performed using STATA 15 software. A multilevel mixed-effect logistic regression model was fitted to examine the association between undernutrition and secondary infertility. Variables with a p-value < 0.05 were declared as significant factors associated with secondary infertility. Model comparison was done based on Akaike and Bayesian Information Criteria (AIC and BIC). To measure variation (random effects), Community-level variance with standard deviation and intra-cluster correlation coefficient (ICC) was used.ResultThe proportion of women who have secondary infertility was 16.32% with 95%CI (15.96, 16.69), of which 26.94% were undernourished. This study found that being undernutrition (AOR = 1.74; 95%CI: 1.54–1.98) and overweight (AOR = 1.72; 95%CI: 1.62–1.86) were significantly associated with secondary infertility. Women aged >35 years (AOR = 3.47; 95%CI: 2.66–4.55), and rural residents (AOR = 1.16; 95%CI: 1.02–1.37) are other factors that are positively associated with secondary infertility. However, primary education (AOR = 0.87; 95%CI: 0.77–0.97) and richer wealth index (AOR = 0.84; 95%CI: 0.73–0.97) are protective factors for secondary infertility.ConclusionThis study indicated that there is a strong association between secondary infertility and undernutrition growing in Eastern Africa. Therefore, Health information dissemination and awareness creation on the impact of malnutrition on infertility should be given to the community and health care providers. Given this, it may lead to integrating nutrition counseling into both clinical settings for infertility management as well as national dietary guidelines for individuals of reproductive age.

Objective We aimed to assess the prevalences of foot ulcer and foot self-care practices, and identify associated factors in adult patients with diabetes attending a referral hospital in south-east Ethiopia. Methods We performed a cross-sectional study of 267 diabetic patients. Multivariable binary logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with diabetic foot ulcer and foot self-care practice. Results The prevalence of diabetic foot ulcer was 11.2% (95% confidence interval [CI] 7.42–15.05). One hundred and forty-four (53.9%; 47.9, 59.9) patients demonstrated good foot self-care. Living rurally (adjusted odds ratio 2.27; 95% CI: 1.86–6.97), lack of regular exercise (3.91; 1.51–10.10), peripheral neuropathy (2.77; 1.05–7.33) and foot calluses (5.69; 1.74–18.59) were associated with diabetic foot ulcer. Urban inhabitants (2.01; 1.09–3.69), patients with diabetes for >10 years (2.92; 1.48–5.77), women (2.95; 1.66–5.22), and patients with a glucometer at home (2.05; 1.09–3.85) were more likely to have good foot self-care practice. Conclusion The prevalence of diabetic foot ulcer was 11.2%. This prevalence is lower than those identified in other Ethiopian studies. However, patient awareness regarding foot self-care practice and risk reduction should be improved.