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Background. There is a lack of expertise in the procedure of open radical retropubic prostatectomy in West Africa therefore necessitating the training of urologists in the subregion in this procedure. Aim. This report looks at the early outcomes of a single surgeon in this procedure after an SIU fellowship. Methodology. A prospective study of the initial twenty consecutive patients with clinically localized prostate cancer that underwent open radical retropubic prostatectomy at the Korle Bu Teaching hospital, Accra. Results. The mean followup was 19.5 months (range 7 months–36 months). The mean age was 62.7 yrs. For the clinical stage, 60% were T1c and 40% T2a with a mean Gleason score of 6.5. The mean estimated blood loss was 1140.0 mLs with a transfusion rate of 70%. For the pathologic stage, pT2 cancers formed 60%, pT3 25%, and pT4 5% with a mean Gleason score of 6.8. No lymph node involvement was noted. The perioperative complications rate was 15%, a postoperative potency recovery rate of 78.6% with all the patients being continent of urine. The tPSA of 95% of the patients had remained less than 0.4 ng/mL. Conclusion. The SIU scholarship offers an avenue for training in radical prostatectomy for sub-Saharan Africa.

Abstract:Confronted with severe frost damage to plants, methods, technologies and equipment have been developed and applied during the past century. The paper presents a comprehensive review on the most effective and active technology to protect plants from radiation frost based on air disturbance technology. The working principle of the technology was elaborated with frost protection mechanism, structures and applicability of three types of working patterns: conventional wind machines, selective inverted sink and portable vertical blowing. As an automatic mechanized technology, control strategy, applicable occasion and proper parameters are introduced for each type of working pattern. The operation of the technology and equipment depends on plant critical temperature, prevailing climatic conditions, thermal inversions strength, as well as costs. The frost protection performance and effectiveness of conventional horizontal wind machines, selective inverted sinks and helicopters are discussed and compared from the cost-effectiveness and application aspects, and the feasibility of selective inverted sinks is still controversial. Therefore, conventional wind machines are the best choice for plant frost protection and consequently are widely used in temperate and subtropical areas throughout the world. The frost protection application with helicopters is not easy to use during the frost nights with high cost. The paper also provides researchers with some perspectives on improving air disturbance technology and its equipment, and some practice recommendations for growers.