₦airaland Forum

MadCow1:
You can go, but the land remains Nigerian ground.

This MadCow is indeed mad.... so senseless

Blast of life

Physicians at the University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System have cured 12 adult patients of sickle cell disease using a unique procedure for stem cell transplantation from healthy, tissue- matched siblings. The transplants were the first to be performed outside of the National Institutes of Health campus in Maryland, where the procedure was developed. Physicians there have treated 30 patients, with an 87 percent success rate. The results of the phase I/II clinical trial at UI Health, in which 92 percent of treated patients were cured, are published online in the journal Biology of Blood & Marrow Transplantation. The new technique eliminates the need for chemotherapy to prepare the patient to receive the transplanted cells and offers the prospect of cure for tens of thousands of adults suffering from sickle cell disease. About 90 percent of the approximately 450 patients who have received stem cell transplants for sickle cell disease have been children. Chemotherapy has been considered too risky for adult patients, who are often more weakened than children by the disease. “Adults with sickle cell disease are now living on average until about age 50 with blood transfusions and drugs to help with pain crises, but their quality of life can be very low,” says Dr. Damiano Rondelli, chief of hematology/oncology and director of the blood and marrow transplant program at UI Health, and corresponding author on the paper. “Now, with this chemotherapy-free transplant, we are curing adults with sickle cell disease, and we see that their quality of life improves vastly within just one month of the transplant,” said Rondelli, who is also the Michael Reese Professor of Hematology in the UIC College of Medicine. “They are able to go back to school, go back to work, and can experience life without pain.” Sickle cell disease is inherited. It primarily affects people of African descent, including about one in every 500 African Americans born in the U.S. The defect causes the oxygen-carrying red blood cells to be crescent shaped, like a sickle. The misshapen cells deliver less oxygen to the body’s tissues, causing severe pain and eventually stroke or organ damage. Doctors have known for some time that bone marrow transplantation from a healthy donor can cure sickle cell disease. But few adults were transplanted because high-dose chemotherapy was needed to kill off the patients’ own blood-forming cells — and their entire immune system, to prevent rejection of the transplanted cells, leaving patients open to infection. In the new procedure, patients receive immunosuppressive drugs just before the transplant, along with a very low dose of total body irradiation — a treatment much less harsh and with fewer potentially serious side effects than chemotherapy. Next, donor cells from a healthy and tissue-matched sibling are transfused into the patient. Stem cells from the donor produce healthy new blood cells in the patient, eventually in sufficient quantity to eliminate symptoms. In many cases, sickle cells can no longer be detected. Patients must continue to take immunosuppressant drugs for at least a year. In the reported trial, the researchers transplanted 13 patients, 17 to 40 years of age, with a stem cell preparation from the blood of a tissue-matched sibling. Healthy sibling donor-candidates and patients were tested for human leukocyte antigen, a set of markers found on cells in the body. Ten of these HLA markers must match between the donor and the recipient for the transplant to have the best chance of evading rejection. In a further advance of the NIH procedure, physicians at UI Health successfully transplanted two patients with cells from siblings who matched for HLA but had a different blood type. In all 13 patients, the transplanted cells successfully took up residence in the marrow and produced healthy red blood cells. One patient who failed to follow the post-transplant therapy regimen reverted to the original sickle cell condition. None of the patients experienced graft-versus-host disease, a condition where immune cells originating from the donor attack the recipient’s body. One year after transplantation, the 12 successfully transplanted patients had normal hemoglobin concentrations in their blood and better cardiopulmonary function. They reported less pain and improved health and vitality. Four of the patients were able to stop post-transplantation immunotherapy without transplant rejection or other complications. “Adults with sickle cell disease can be cured without chemotherapy – the main barrier that has stood in the way for them for so long,” Rondelli said. “Our data provide more support that this therapy is safe and effective and prevents patients from living shortened lives, condemned to pain and progressive complications.” This research was supported in part by a Michael Reese Research & Education Foundation Grant to Rondelli.

amtaken:
I am tempted to ask you a question but let me keep quiet because you can never understand where I am coming from.

Your choice.....

nobilis:
It is this kind of attitude that you displayed above in your words that militate against the development of this our country.

I LIKE.............

By 7.am, on Tuesday, June 7, a long line of Nigerians, young and old, gathered at the front gates of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Area B Command, Alagbon Close, Ikoyi, Lagos. These were prospective travellers seeking E-passport for their various travels. Despite the gloomy and cloudy morning, the sea of heads continued to add up every second as more people arrived to a chaotic and disorganized but brutal environment. Soon, the sky opened up and the morning rain showers scattered on these future sojourners. “Oga, na so the place dey full every day o,” explained one of the vendors that hovered around the compound hawking inflated price goods.

The Immigration office gates opened and visitors were allowed to enter the main premises after being issued name tags. The office was dark: normal work had not started; members of staff walked or stood around as visitors were ordered to settle into a long line. There was no electricity to begin its daily activities. Officers explained to a disillusioned crowd that “We no get light. Una, go wait make PHCN bring light”. Voices from the crowd asked the Immigration officers to crank a standby generator to substitute for electricity, one of the officers said that its generator had broken down.

But surrounding businesses and neighbours such as banks didn’t have to wait for the nation’s electricity provider to conduct their daily activities. They cranked up their generators, improvising power for their business. But at the country’s Immigration office, the officers used rechargeable flashlights to check documents of E-Passport seekers and conduct certain business. That was unbelievable. The expected rain began to pour at about 8.30 a.m. Nursing mothers and other visitors ran into tents and canopies that dotted the compound for shelter. That was a mistake. They were soaked by the morning’s downpour.

Five hours later, the rain stopped, and there was electricity. Brisk businesses commenced here: the process of E-Passport procurement rather than generating funds for the country enriches the Immigration officers, thus making it miserable for citizens seeking travel documents. Every process is interspersed with corrupt practices, bribery, unnecessary paper works and demands just to stall and frustrate applicants unless you have money to give. Money determines how fast your application would be processed. Immigration workers align with touts for brisk businesses. Touts operate inside one of our national security agencies, as agents of immigration officers. They seek prospective passport seekers and help them through the process for immediate application, fingerprints, and other documentation. Then they collect processing fees on behalf of NIS, submit the money through their Immigration officer insider. These fees are three times over what the government charges for passport procurement. Passports are issued depending on your price tag. It is not clear if the government receives the extra charges by these touts and Immigration officers for “express” passport procurement.

This brisk business with touts is also a risky business. Touts are not staffers of Immigration. They can dupe applicants. Immigration officers will deny knowing any such person if it occurs.
An elderly man was raging in the hallways of the office that one of the touts duped him of N25,000 last week, with the pretext to process passport for him. He returned Tuesday with his wife and son to restart the process since the tout could not produce a passport for him. He lost the money, and the immigration officers stood there, watching a helpless, sad man ranting. They did not offer to help him find and perhaps, prosecute the tout. They just stood there, heartless, waiting for the next victim.

The process is frustrating for most Nigerians. Mr. Mohammed came with his sister to help process e-passport for his seven months old niece.
He narrates his experience thus, “We arrived here at 8 a.m. First, they told us there was no electricity to begin work. Also, because of the rain, the internet was down. No network. Imagine that sir. No network in Nigeria’s immigration office. They explained that their generator had broken down. We came here with all the papers. But they kept running us around, demanding father’s driver’s licence, passport photograph and copy of father’s e-passport data page, my niece’s passport photographs, birth certificate, my sister’s marriage certificate, identification, a letter of consent from my sister’s husband, (even when their marriage certificate and e-passport had their names on them) who is in the US. We had all these documents. We submitted them, but we had to wait for hours because there was no power supply.
“We made our payment online. So we expected that payment would have registered. But Immigration officers told me that our online payment had not been confirmed because of the weather condition which disrupted power and network. We were asked to return the next day for verification of payment and to continue the application process.”

Suddenly, a mild commotion occurred outside the premises. It briefly redirected everyone’s attention: a Land Cruiser pulled to the gate and the officer quickly opened the gate, allowing the vehicle to go beyond the permitted area. The vehicle pulled beside the front of the office, a young man came down and walked into the office where others were haggling with Immigration officers for their passports and or applications. Minutes later, the man walked out, holding his passport, climbed to the back seat of his car and his driver drove off the premises. He barely spent twenty minutes to get his passport. Others had been there since 7 a.m.

please am in need of addresses of paper recycling companies in the south east. please lets share what we have. Very Urgent

Oyo stream 1.....

@Freeglobe...you don't know what's about to hit Saraki...he will regret yesterdays actions for the rest of his life..just watch as the story unfolds.

At what point do you become a Senator of the FRN? At what point do you then have the capacity to perform legislative duties? Do u become a Senator after elections of the Principal members of the Senate or upon being sworn-in as a Senator? Can a senator-elect then vote or even perform legislative duties before he is sworn-in as a senator under the law? Saraki may have buried his chance or opportunity to be the President of Senate Chambers if all the answers to these questions are in the negative.

@Ugwuoba,shaoax and all. Do not be confused,if u see ur name on d jamb.org.ng site or throught d portals site it d same thing. This how it done,d skul complies d list of student 4 sends to jamb 4 authorization nd if cleared jamb wil upload likewise d skuls portals. So they are yet to finish uploading,continue checking both sites,they will reflect in both with time and if admitted rejoice nd await instruction as to when nd how to pay the acceptance fee. Am a student of unizik and currently in awka,wil keep u guys posted. Tanxs.a,wil keep u guys posted. Tanxs.

Unizik 2011/2012 First Admission List is out,check your admission status and let us know if u where admitted let rejoice with you. For any enquiry reply me. Great Zikites.

Nnamdi Azikiwe University 2011/2012 1st batch admission list is out,but will be open for View from 2moro Monday 19th September,dis info was let out to me by a Portal Staff, for any enquiry reply me or inbox me on chrisbrice4real@hotmail.com. Thanks. Gudluck 2 u all.

Nnamdi Azikiwe University 2011/2012 1st batch admission list is out,but will be open for View from 2moro Monday 19th September,dis info was let out to me by a Portal Staff, for any enquiry reply me or inbox me on chrisbrice4real@hotmail.com. Thanks. Gudluck 2 u all.

nnamdi azikiwe university awka continuous education programme (cep) and diploma forms are out , for more detail contact me by replying,

what about the second list? Please is there any news?

Please when is the second admission list coming out?urgent response needed.

Sir Alex Ferguson confirms Wayne Rooney wants to leave Manchester United; denies having argument with the player
Alex Ferguson on Rooney: "The player is adamant. He says he wants to leave. We have to deal the next part in terms of this request" ,

The Legal Practitioners Privileges Committee (LPPC) of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has suspended the former Attorney General of the Federation, Michael Aondoakaa as a "Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN)," pending investigations over a petition submitted by the Committee for the Defense of Human Rights (CDHR) requesting his removal as a SAN.

The removal of Mr. Aondoakaa further compounds his woes as he was recently barred from entering the United States due to acts of corruption and notable acts of obstruction of justice while he served under Umaru Yar'Adua' as AGF between 2007 and 2010.

A federal court in Calabar also recently barred him from holding public office based on a lawsuit brought before the court by a petitioner who claimed that Mr. Aondoakaa violated the tenets of democracy by corruptly impeding the judgment of the court in an election case.

Aondoakaa, who many legal and political observers have described as the most corrupt Attorney General in Nigeria's history was noted for abusing his office to cover up all manner of criminal elements in exchange for cash and kind.

As 4 me am Praying,watching and waiting looking above, and i know my name is going to be on that List, God please hear my PRAYERS, AMEN.

Aigbofa:
I hope someday, someone will rebuild all those Islamic looking buildings to reflect the secularity of Nigeria.

I have nothing against Islam and I like the national mosque, I think it's quite beautiful.

But I don't understand why the seat of government and the national assembly should look like something out of Saudi Arabia!!

I totally agree with you,the sight of these buildings really pisses me off,

desgiezd:
Abomination!!! You are asking for the impossible!

On a serious note, one gets to see the White House including the interior of the White House on the internet but one has never seen our own Aso Villa either in newspapers or on the internet. I know whoever ventures snapping the pictures can get killed for planning coup or for planning to kidnap the president!

But is it suppose to be so? I feel they have cockroaches in there cupboards that why they are afraid.

I totally dis-agree with u,what kind of rock is it, such that a camera lens can't zoom to penetrate the inside view of it, just like the way we see the pentagon house,

hello nairalanders there is this issue that has been bothering me,we all see the Pentagon house on the internet and so many other countries Presidentail Villa,but how come a country like Nigeria the Gaint of Africa presidential villa is not on the intenet? Am just curious,

Hello peeps,am really grateful for all ya comments, Something happened yesterday night, she called me up and asked me a question,saying, Chris what would you do if i say yes? And i said it would be the greatest reply anyone ever gave me, and all that, and when i asked her why the question she said never mind and hung-up, Could this mean she is considering the relationship,to rather falling in love,

@andromida, you really have a point here,i really would do as you have said, will just go for her,after all she ain't married, thanks bro.

@MOBO444,to some extent yes and no,but what does that have to do with this post?
@Inked_Nerd, that rather makes me feel like a loser, quitting is definitely not my style,
@Olami099, thanks bro, people like u just makes me stronger,
@--190-- , you must have something to add oooh.
@Tosinville, thanks, i will keep to your advice.
@Ujujoan, i don't know if she has her BF approval,i am a kind of person who respects peoples privacy,i would rather talk about some other things than talk about her bf, and honestly she doesn't talk about him,,rather she would tell me about her previous BF's,

@ Kelvinj, thanks bro,

@Jaybee,thanks for your advice,
@ Ebonyeyes,Yeah i understand but am kind of liking her and am losing my mind,and something tells me she feels the same way too,
@unnytox,i understand but right now am so deep that i can't backout.
@Tosinville,thanks i just have to keep on keeping on for now.
@190, yea i used to have a gf but we broke up 7months ago,am just taking my tyme before getting into anoda relationship.She is the first babe am asking out since my break-up, am just confused,

It all started some-time last month, my phone rang i tried answering d cal and it disconnected, tried calling back and d numb was switched off until the next day. When I called d next day a young feminine voice answered the call, apologizing for mis-typing my numb while trying to call someone else. I accepted and i offered my hand in friendship, since then we became very close and all that, I fixed a date for us to meet in person, it was a very interesting date, had fun, shared a lot of things, from that moment i became so addicted and i really felt love, so much love even by thinking of how we started, Just last week Saturday i told her that i wanted to see her on sunday which was yesterday,as planned she came towards the evening time and we hanged out in one of the eatries in my area,after the eating,it was time to say my mind,i asked her to be my girl friend and to my greatest suprise she said,NO,she said she has a boyfriend although she told me before but i taught she was just saying it to feel secured,my problem now is that am so into her now to back out.What can i possible do now,that i can't have her, losing my mind as i can't have something my life depended on, please advise me, Chris.