The prevalence of IGM antibodies to Zika virus in pregnant women in Northern Nigeria.

INTRODUCTION: Zika virus (ZIKV) infection during pregnancy can result in severe outcomes for both the pregnant woman and the developing fetus. The objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence of Zika virus infection among pregnant women who sought healthcare services at Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Serum samples were collected and analyzed using Enzyme Linked Immunoassay and RT-qPCR methods, while a structured questionnaire was used to gather relevant information about the participants. RESULTS: The results showed that 53 out of the 180 pregnant women tested positive for Anti-Zika IgM antibodies, which represents a 29.4% prevalence rate. Subsequent RT-qPCR analysis found that only 6 out of the 53 positive samples contained Zika virus RNA. Fever and headache were the most commonly reported symptoms related to the infection. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate a potential outbreak of Zika fever in Northern Nigeria emphasizing the importance for pregnant women to take precautions to avoid getting infected.

Comparison of the Ivermectin and Lopinavir/Ritonavir Treatment Outcomes among COVID-19 Mild to Moderate Cases in Kaduna State.

BACKGROUND: Ivermectin has been a popular anti-parasitic drug since the late 1970s. The promising result of in-vitro studies on the antiviral activity of the drug has led clinicians in many countries to use this drug to treat COVID-19 patients. This study determined and compared the mean number of days at clinical recovery for mild to moderate cases of COVID -19 treated with Lopinavir/Ritonavir (Alluvia) and Ivermectin at the Kaduna State Infectious Disease Control Centres. METHODS: This was a comparative cross-sectional study conducted among 300 mild to moderate COVID- 19 cases enrolled for the study. The outcome variables were the time required for the resolution of symptoms from the onset and at commencement of the treatment regimens. Data were collected from patient folders using a questionnaire. Data were analysed with the IBM SPSS Version 25.0 and STATA/SE 13. Statistical significance was set at p<0.05. RESULTS: The mean recovery time (MRT) from symptom onset was significantly lower for Covid-19 patients treated with ivermectin (7.15±4.18 days) compared to lopinavir/ritonavir (9.7±5.3 days), 95%CI=7.37-9.62. Multivariate logistic regression showed that there was no significant relationship between the patients age (AOR=0.36, 95%CI=0.09-1.49), sex (AOR=0.34,95%CI=0.54-5.93), educational status (AOR=1.04, 95%CI=0.3-3.57), marital status (AOR=0.55,95%CI=0.14-2.11) place of treatment (AOR=1.66, 95%CI=0.54-5.11) and MRT. There was also no significant relationship between patients' comorbid chronic illness (AOR=0.83, 95%CI=0.27-2.61) and MRT. CONCLUSION: The mean recovery time for COVID-19 patients managed with ivermectin was slightly lower than for the lopinavir/ ritonavir regimen. RECOMMENDATION: Clinical trials to further prove the efficacy of Ivermectin as a supportive therapy in clinical management of mild to moderate cases of COVID-19 in this setting should be carried out.

CONTEXTE: L'ivermectine a été un médicament antiparasitaire populaire depuis la fin des années 1970. Le résultat prometteur d'études in vitro sur l'activité antivirale du médicament a conduit les cliniciens de nombreux pays à utiliser ce médicament pour traiter les patients atteints de COVID-19. Cette étude a déterminé et comparé le nombre moyen de jours de récupération clinique pour les jours légers à cas modérés de COVID-19 traités par Lopinavir/Ritonavir (Alluvions) et ivermectine à la maladie infectieuse de l'État de Kaduna Centres de contrôle. MÉTHODES: Il s'agissait d'une étude comparative transversale menée auprès de 300 cas légers à modérés de COVID-19 inscrits pour l'étude. Les variables de résultat étaient le temps requis pour la résolution des symptômes dès le début et au début de la schémas thérapeutiques. Les données ont été recueillies à partir des dossiers des patients à l'aide d'un questionnaire. Les données ont été analysées avec version 25.0 du IBM SPSS et STATA/SE 13. La signification statistique a été fixée à p<0.05. RÉSULTATS: Le temps moyen de récupération (TRM) à partir de l'apparition des symptômes était significativement plus faible chez les patients Covid-19 traités par l'ivermectine(7.15±4.18 jours) par rapport au lopinavir/ritonavir (9.7±5.3 jours), IC à 95 % = 7.37 à 9.62. La régression logistique multivariée a montré qu'iln'avait pas de relation significative entre l'âge des patients (AOR = 0.36, IC à 95 % = 0.09 à 1.49), sexe (AOR = 0.34, 95 % IC = 0.54 à 5.93), education statut (AOR =1.04, IC à 95 % = 0.3­3.57), état matrimonial(AOR = 0.55, 95% IC = 0.14­2.11) lieu de traitement (AOR = 1.66, IC à 95 % = 0.54 à 5.11) et TRM. Il n'y avait pas non plus de relation entre la maladie chronique comorbide des patients (AOR = 0.83, IC à 95 % = 0.27 à 2.61) et TRM. CONCLUSION: Le temps de récupération moyen pour les patients atteints de COVID-19 gérés avec de l'ivermectine était légèrement inférieur à celui du lopinavir/régime de ritonavir. RECOMMANDATION: Essais cliniques pour prouver l'efficacité de l'ivermectine comme traitement de soutien dans la prise en charge clinique des cas lègers à modérés de COVID-19 dans ce contexte devraient être effectués. Mot-clés: Ivermectine, Alluvie, Traitement, MRT, Essai clinique, COVID-19.

Perinatal factors associated with admission to neonatal intensive care unit following cesarean delivery in Kano, northern Nigeria.

OBJECTIVES: Cesarean section is the most common obstetric surgical procedure, with associated risks for adverse neonatal outcomes. The interplay of perinatal factors associated with neonatal admissions following cesarean delivery remains poorly understood in developing countries. We examined how perinatal and facility-based factors affect Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) admission after cesarean delivery in northern Nigeria. METHODS: A prospective cohort study involving 200 women undergoing cesarean section were consecutively enrolled with subsequent follow-up of their infants in the post-natal period. Data were abstracted from the medical record using an interviewer-administered questionnaire. The primary outcomes were NICU admission and intrauterine or early neonatal deaths. Binary logistic regression modelling was used to identify variables independently associated with the outcomes. RESULTS: Over the study period (six months), there were 200 cesarean sections. A total of 30 (15.0%) neonates were admitted into the NICU following the procedure. No stillbirths or early neonatal deaths were recorded. NICU admission was associated with gestational age (preterm vs. term [adjusted odds ratio, aOR: 18.9, 95% confidence interval (CI): 4.0-90.4]), birth weight (small vs. appropriate [aOR: 6.7, 95% CI 1.9-22.7] and large vs. appropriate birth weight [aOR: 20.3, 95% CI 2.9-143.7]) and the number of indications for cesarean section (≥2 vs. one [aOR: 0.2, 95% 0.1-0.8]). CONCLUSIONS: Prematurity, small and large for gestational age neonates; and indications for cesarean section were associated with increased likelihood of neonatal admission following cesarean delivery. These findings could inform ongoing quality enhancement initiatives to improve NICU admission outcomes at the study site, and other similar settings.

Dipping fresh-cut apples in citric acid before plasma-integrated low-pressure cooling improves Salmonella and polyphenol oxidase inactivation.

BACKGROUND: Ready-to-eat fruit and vegetable products have gained tremendous popularity in recent years. The main challenges associated with these minimally processed products are their short shelf life and high food safety concerns. In this study, our goal was to develop an integrated process to both reduce the Salmonella population by >5 log CFU g-1 ) and to reduce polyphenol oxidase activity, followed by quickly cooling the product. We compared the effect of a sequential treatment of dipping in citric acid (CA) followed by cold plasma (CP) treatment on the inactivation of Salmonella Typhimurium, polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity, browning, total phenolic content and the moisture loss of cut apples during the plasma-integrated low-pressure cooling (PiLPC) process. RESULTS: The greatest inactivation of Salmonella (5.68 log CFU g-1 ) and the highest PPO inactivation (78%) were observed after dipping cut apples in 5% CA, followed by 3 min of CP treatment. The color of cut apples remained relatively unchanged, with a fresh-like appearance during 7 days of storage at 4 °C after this combined treatment. Although the low-pressure cooling time was increased when samples were pre-dipped in CA, related to those undipped, the moisture loss was reduced by more than 50% during the PiLPC process. No significant reduction in phenolic content was observed during the PiLPC when the samples were pre-dipped in 5% CA. CONCLUSION: These results indicate the potential of this integrated process for the inactivation of endogenous food enzymes and bacterial pathogens in fresh-cut apples. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Diagnostic urethrocystoscopy: A five-year review of indications and findings in a tertiary hospital in Nigeria

Background:Urethrocystoscopy is defined as endoscopic visualization of the urethra and the urinary bladder for the purpose of diagnosis or treatment of diseases of the lower urinary tract.Objective: To study the indications, diagnosis and complications of diagnostic urethrocystoscopy in our hospital.Materials and method:It was a retrospective descriptive study of all patients who had diagnostic urethrocystoscopy in our hospital between January 2016 to December 2021. Institutional ethical clearance was obtained. Particulars of the patients were collected from the operating theatre register and their medical case files were retrieved. Information about the patients'bio-data, presentation, clinical/radiologic diagnosis, urethrocystoscopic findings and its complications were extracted. The generated data was analyzed using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 21 and results presented in tables, text and figures.Results:Atotal of 673 patients had urethrocystoscopy/cystoscopy during the period out of which we recovered full medical records of 592 patients whose data were analyzed.The patient's age ranges between 9 to 86years with mean age of 43.7±9.3SD years and M: F = 3.9:1. The indications for diagnostic urethrocystoscopy were lower urinary tract symptoms [LUTS] (48.8%), bladder tumour (29.2%) and haematuria (11.1%) among others. The urethrocystoscopic diagnoses were bladder tumour (37.8%), prostate enlargement (19.1%) and urethral stricture (6.9%) among others. The complications recorded were urethral/bladder bleeding (2.4%), urosepsis (1.4%) and urethral/bladder injury (0.3%).Keywords: Urethrocystoscopy, diagnosis, indicationsConclusion: Urethrocystoscopy is a necessary tool for comprehensive practice of urology owing to its vital role in the diagnosis and treatment of different kinds of lower urinary tract diseases and it is generally a safe procedure

Subarachnoid lavage following inadvertent intrathecal injection of tranexamic acid

Tranexamic acid (TXA) is a commonly used antifibrinolytic drug during surgical procedures to reduce blood loss. An Inadvertent intrathecal injection of TXAmay lead to serious side effects including seizures and ventricular fibrillation with reported fatalities. We report a case of an inadvertentintrathecal injection of TXAwhich occurred as a result of similarities in appearance between TXAand heavy bupivacaine ampoules. The patient had subarachnoid lavage after experiencing back pain, systemic hypertension followed by generalized tonic clonic seizures

Synthesis and Characterization of Slow-Release Fertilizer Hydrogel Based on Hydroxy Propyl Methyl Cellulose, Polyvinyl Alcohol, Glycerol and Blended Paper.

In this study, biodegradable slow-release fertilizer (SRF) hydrogels were synthesized from hydroxyl propyl methyl cellulose (HPMC), polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), glycerol and urea (SRF1) and HPMC, PVA, glycerol, urea and blended paper (SRF2). The fertilizer hydrogels were characterized by SEM, XRD and FTIR. The swelling capacity of the hydrogels in both distilled and tap water as well as their water retention capacity in sandy soil were evaluated. The hydrogels had good swelling capacity with maximum swelling ratio of 17.2 g/g and 15.6 g/g for SRF1 and SRF2 in distilled, and 14.4 g/g and 15.2 g/g in tap water, respectively. The water retention capacity of the hydrogels in sandy soil exhibited higher water retention when compared with soil without the (SRFs). The soil with the hydrogels was found to have higher water retention than the soil without the hydrogels. The slow-release profile of the hydrogels was also evaluated. The result suggested that the prepared fertilizer hydrogels has a good controlled release capacity. The blended paper component in SRF2 was observed to aid effective release of urea, with about 87.01% release in soil at 44 days compared to the pure urea which was about 97% release within 4 days. The addition of blended paper as a second layer matrix was found to help improve the release properties of the fertilizer. The swelling kinetic of the hydrogel followed Schott's second order model. The release kinetics of urea in water was best described by Kormeye Peppas, suggesting urea release to be by diffusion via the pores and channels of the SRF, which can be controlled by changing the swelling of the SRF. However, the release mechanism in soil is best described by first order kinetic model, suggesting that the release rate in soil is depended on concentration and probably on diffusion rate via the pores and channels of the SRF.

Salmonella inactivation and rapid cooling of fresh cut apples by plasma integrated low-pressure cooling.

Fresh food products, including fruits, vegetables, raw meat, and poultry, have been associated with safety concerns and quality issues, owing to their susceptibility to rapid deterioration and microbial contamination. This research aimed to develop an integrated process to simultaneously cool and decontaminate high moisture food products. Cold plasma (CP), a novel decontamination technology, was integrated with vacuum cooling to develop a plasma integrated low-pressure cooling (PiLPC) process. To evaluate the rapid cooling and microbial inactivation efficacies of the PiLPC process, fresh cut Granny Smith apples andSalmonella entericaserovarTyphimurium ATCC 13311 were used as the model food and microorganism, respectively. The influence of process parameters including treatment time, pressure, and post-treatment storage, on the inactivation ofSalmonellaon fresh-cut apples was investigated.Inactivation ofSalmonellaincreased with treatment time, with a maximum reduction of 3.21 log CFU/g after 5 min of CP treatment at atmospheric pressure. Inactivationof Salmonellaafter CP treatment at 200 mbar was not significantly different from that at atmospheric pressure for the same treatment time. CP treatment of 3 min at 200 mbar followed by a post-treatment storage of 3 days at 4 °C reduced the totalSalmonellapopulation on cut apple slices by > 6 log CFU/g. The temperature of the cut apples was reduced from room temperature to 2 °Cin 3 to 9 min depending on the sample surface area to volume ratio, when the pressure was reducedto 7 mbar. However, this PiLPC process resulted in moisture loss in cut apples. The results of this study indicate the potential of the PiLPC process for rapid cooling and microbial inactivation of fresh food products in a single process.

Prevalence of Anti-Toxoplasma gondii and Anti-Brucella Spp. Antibodies in Pregnant Women From Mogadishu, Somalia.

Toxoplasmosis and brucellosis are zoonotic diseases of worldwide distribution. They both cause abortion and infertility in human and animals. Limited data are available about these pathogens in Somali people and their animals. Hence, this study has evaluated the prevalence of anti-Toxoplasma gondii and anti-Brucella spp. antibodies in pregnant women in Mogadishu, Somalia. Serum samples from 307 pregnant women from Mogadishu, Somalia were tested for anti-T. gondii antibodies by Latex Agglutination Test (LAT) and anti-Brucella spp. antibodies by Rose Bengal Plate Test (RBPT) and a commercial competitive-ELISA (cELISA). A total of 119/307 (38.76%) pregnant women had a prior history of abortion. A total of 159/307 (51.79%; 95% CI: 46.2-57.35%) pregnant women were seroreactive for T. gondii by LAT at different stages of pregnancy. For Brucella spp., when RBPT and cELISA were combined 4/307 (1.30%; 95% CI: 0.36-3.30%) pregnant women were seroreactive to anti-Brucella spp. antibodies, being 2/307 (0.65%; 95% CI: 0.18-2.34%) by RBPT and 3/307 (0.98%; 95% CI: 0.33-2.83%) by cELISA. Two women were seroreactive for both agents. A high seropositivity to T. gondii and low seropositivity to Brucella spp. have been found in pregnant women from Mogadishu, Somalia. Considering the high number of abortions in the country associated to the fact that awareness on other zoonotic abortifacient pathogens in Somalis is very low, further studies should be conducted to evaluate the potential causes of abortions.

The phytochemical and pharmacological actions of Entada africana Guill. & Perr.

Entada africana (Ea, Asteraceae) has been widely used traditionally to treat different ailments, as food, insecticides, source of gums, in some small carpentry works. Studies on the pharmacognostic characterization, nutritional, elemental and physicochemical contents has been reported. In vivo and in vitro studies on the plant validated some ethnomedicinal claims of the use of the plant as an anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antibacterial, antioxidant, antiviral, anti-angiogenic, cytotoxic agents among others. Triterpenes, saponins, flavonoids and sugars were reported as bioactive constituents which might be responsible for the aforementioned pharmacological actions of the plant. However, more researches are required in order to isolate bioactive compounds from the different parts of Ea and evaluate their effects on different ailments.

Influence of inclined wall self-shading strategy on office building heat gain and energy performance in hot humid climate of Malaysia.

External shading geometry on buildings has been found to contribute substantially to reducing energy consumption for cooling. This study examines the effect of inclined wall self-shading strategy on heat gain in an office building. Field measurement of environmental variables such as ambient temperature, relative humidity, dew point, and wet bulb temperature was carried out in a case study inclined wall self-shading office building located in Putrajaya, Malaysia. The results of the validation of ApacheSim simulation software tool against the measured environmental variables indicated significant reliability having Pearson correlations ranging from 0.56 to 0.90. In establishing the relationship between different inclined wall strategies to the amount of heat gain, modification of the inclined wall self-shading projection (SSP) was modelled and experimented using ApacheSim simulation. Findings from the analysis revealed a relationship between heat gains into a building space and self-shading projection (SSP), as heat gains tend to reduce with increased SSP. From the findings, the optimum inclination angle of self-shading for effective heat gain reduction is based on a 45% self-shading projection. The application of inclined wall self-shading strategy in buildings would, therefore, bring about a reduction in heat gain, which invariably reduces energy consumption for cooling.

Anti-proliferative study and isolation of Ochnaflavone from the ethyl acetate-soluble fraction of Ochna kibbiensis Hutch & Dalziel.

Anti-proliferative activity of the ethyl acetate fractions of Ochna schweinfurthiana F. Hoffm. and Ochna kibbiensis Hutch. and Dalziel methanol leaf extracts were investigated against glioblastoma multiforme (GBM U-1242 MG) cell line. O. kibbiensis significantly (p < 0.001) and dose dependently (IC50 = 25.74 µg/mL) reduced cell count. At 125 µg/mL, O. kibbiensis extract reduced cell count by about 92% compared to the untreated control. On the other hand, at 125 µg/mL, O. schweinfurthiana extract reduced cell count only by 20%, indicating a much weaker activity (IC50 = 823.51 µg/mL). Following from the result obtained, ethyl acetate fraction of O. kibbiensis was subjected to chromatographic purification. This led to the isolation of ochnaflavone; the structure of the isolated compound was identified by analysis of its nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectral data and comparison with data in the literature. Although the isolated ochnaflavone could not be tested for anti-proliferative activity due to insufficient quantity, the obtained results indicate the presence of bioactive anti-GBM principles in O. kibbiensis.

Traditional uvulectomy among the neonates: experience in a Nigerian tertiary health institution

Background: Traditional uvulectomy is widely practiced in some African countries with children more vulnerable to such practices, which may be associated with life threatening complications. Objectives: To determine the age at the time of the procedure, reasons and complication(s) following traditional uvulectomy. Materials And Methods: Retrospective study of hospitalized neonates presenting as emergencies following traditional uvulectomy to the accident and emergency department of the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto, Nigeria, from June, 2004 to May, 2015. Results: A total of 21 cases were reviewed. Twelve(57.1%) males and 9(42.9%) were females: ratio of 1.3:1. The age ranged from 1 to 21 days with the mean age of 8.8 days. Majority 11(52.4%) of the thtraditional uvulectomies were performed before the 7 day of life. The mean duration before hospitalization was 8.4 hours. Post-uvulectomy haemorrhage 18(85.7%) was the most common complication and this was followed by septicaemia 3 (14.3%) with 2(9.5%) mortalities from the septicaemia. All the patients were anaemic. Prevention of sore throat 12(57.1%) was the main reason for traditional uvulectomy. Sixteen (76.2%) patients were lost to follow-up. Conclusion: Neonatal traditional uvulectomy was mostly done in the first week of life, prevention of sore throat was the common intent and complicated with post-uvulectomy bleeding and septicaemia. Health institutions have a role to play in public health education on the harmful effects of traditional uvulectomy

Combined use of inactivated and oral poliovirus vaccines in refugee camps and surrounding communities - Kenya, December 2013.

Since the launch of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) in 1988, circulation of indigenous wild poliovirus (WPV) has continued without interruption in only three countries: Afghanistan, Nigeria, and Pakistan. During April-December 2013, a polio outbreak caused by WPV type 1 (WPV1) of Nigerian origin resulted in 217 cases in or near the Horn of Africa, including 194 cases in Somalia, 14 cases in Kenya, and nine cases in Ethiopia (all cases were reported as of March 10, 2014). During December 14-18, 2013, Kenya conducted the first-ever campaign providing inactivated poliovirus vaccine (IPV) together with oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) as part of its outbreak response. The campaign targeted 126,000 children aged ≤59 months who resided in Somali refugee camps and surrounding communities near the Kenya-Somalia border, where most WPV1 cases had been reported, with the aim of increasing population immunity levels to ensure interruption of any residual WPV transmission and prevent spread from potential new importations. A campaign evaluation and vaccination coverage survey demonstrated that combined administration of IPV and OPV in a mass campaign is feasible and can achieve coverage >90%, although combined IPV and OPV campaigns come at a higher cost than OPV-only campaigns and require particular attention to vaccinator training and supervision. Future operational studies could assess the impact on population immunity and the cost-effectiveness of combined IPV and OPV campaigns to accelerate interruption of poliovirus transmission during polio outbreaks and in certain areas in which WPV circulation is endemic.

Physical activity among Somali men in Minnesota: barriers, facilitators, and recommendations.

Immigrants and refugees arrive to the United States healthier than the general population, but this advantage declines with increasing duration of residence. One factor contributing to this decline is suboptimal physical activity, but reasons for this are poorly understood. Persons from Somalia represent the largest African refugee population to the United States, yet little is known about perceptions of physical activity among Somali men. Somali members of a community-based participatory research partnership implemented three age-stratified focus groups and three semistructured interviews among 20 Somali men in Rochester, Minnesota. Team-based inductive analysis generated themes for barriers and facilitators to physical activity. Barriers to physical activity included less walking opportunities in the United States, embarrassment about exercise clothing and lack of familiarity with exercise equipment/modalities, fear of harassment, competing priorities, facility costs, transportation, and winter weather. Facilitators to physical activity included high knowledge about how to be active, success stories from others in their community as inspiration, and community cohesion. Findings may be used to derive interventions aimed to promote physical activity among Somali men in the United States.

Ear; Nose; and Throat Foreign Bodies in a Tertiary Health Institution in Sokoto; Nigeria

Background: Otorhinolaryngeal foreign bodies are common in ear; nose; and throat (ENT) practice. The objective of this study is to determine the pattern of otorhinolaryngeal foreign bodies in a Tertiary Health Institution in Sokoto; North-Western Nigeria. Materials and Methods: This is a 2 year retrospective study using the records of all cases of ENT foreign bodies at Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital; Sokoto; from January 2009 to December 2010. Data analysis was carried out using the SPSS for windows version 13.0. Results: A total of 90 cases were analysed. Ear foreign bodies 48 (53.3) were commonest; followed by nasal foreign bodies 16 (17.8); bronchial foreign bodies 15 (16.7); and esophageal foreign bodies 11 (12.2). Age range was 9 months to 64 years. High frequency of the foreign bodies was noted in the younger age group. The foreign bodies varied according to the site with plant seed being more common in the ear and the nose while meat bolus is more common in the esophagus. Bronchial foreign bodies were seen exclusively in children less than 14 years old with beads and valve of plastic toys being the most common. Conclusion: Otorhinolaryngeal foreign bodies remain frequent occurrence particularly in the younger age group 9 years old or less and high index of suspicion suggested and early intervention to prevent the morbidity and mortality from complications

Electrocatalytic properties of prussian blue nanoparticles supported on poly(m-aminobenzenesulphonic acid)-functionalised single-walled carbon nanotubes towards the detection of dopamine.

Edged plane pyrolytic graphite electrode (EPPGE) was modified with and without Prussian blue (PB) nanoparticles and polyaminobenzene sulphonated single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTPABS) using the chemical deposition method. The electrodes were characterised using microscopy, spectroscopy and electrochemical techniques. Results showed that edged plane pyrolytic graphite-single-walled carbon nanotubes-prussian blue (EPPGE-SWCNT-PB) electrode gave the best dopamine (DA) current response, which increases with increasing PB layers. The catalytic rate constant of 1.69 × 10(5)mol(-1)cm(3)s(-1), Tafel value of 112 mV dec(-1), and limit of detection of DA (2.8 nM) were obtained. Dopamine could be simultaneously detected with ascorbic acid. The electrode was found to be electrochemically stable, reusable and can be used for the analysis of DA in real drug samples.

Outbreak of fatal childhood lead poisoning related to artisanal gold mining in northwestern Nigeria, 2010.

BACKGROUND: In May 2010, a team of national and international organizations was assembled to investigate children's deaths due to lead poisoning in villages in northwestern Nigeria. OBJECTIVES: Our goal was to determine the cause of the childhood lead poisoning outbreak, investigate risk factors for child mortality, and identify children < 5 years of age in need of emergency chelation therapy for lead poisoning. METHODS: We administered a cross-sectional, door-to-door questionnaire in two affected villages, collected blood from children 2-59 months of age, and obtained soil samples from family compounds. Descriptive and bivariate analyses were performed with survey, blood lead, and environmental data. Multivariate logistic regression techniques were used to determine risk factors for childhood mortality. RESULTS: We surveyed 119 family compounds. Of 463 children < 5 years of age, 118 (25%) had died in the previous year. We tested 59% (204/345) of children < 5 years of age, and all were lead poisoned (≥ 10 µg/dL); 97% (198/204) of children had blood lead levels (BLLs) ≥ 45 µg/dL, the threshold for initiating chelation therapy. Gold ore was processed inside two-thirds of the family compounds surveyed. In multivariate modeling, significant risk factors for death in the previous year from suspected lead poisoning included the age of the child, the mother's work at ore-processing activities, community well as primary water source, and the soil lead concentration in the compound. CONCLUSION: The high levels of environmental contamination, percentage of children < 5 years of age with elevated BLLs (97%, > 45 µg/dL), and incidence of convulsions among children before death (82%) suggest that most of the recent childhood deaths in the two surveyed villages were caused by acute lead poisoning from gold ore-processing activities. Control measures included environmental remediation, chelation therapy, public health education, and control of mining activities.

Laryngeal tumours: clinical pattern in Sokoto, Northwestern Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: Laryngeal tumours may be benign or malignant presenting with progressive voice hoarseness and upper airway obstruction which may be misdiagnosed. METHOD: Patients were prospectively recruited over 6years from July 1999 to July 2005 in a tertiary health centre. RESULTS: Thirty seven cases of laryngeal tumours were seen (30 males (81.1%), 7 females (18.9%). The incidence was 6.2 cases per year. Histological diagnosis was only obtained in 30 patients (25 (83.3%) males, 5 females (16.7%). The age range was 3 months to 75 years with the mean ages (benign 6.1 years, and malignant 47.9 years). Histology of the 30 patients showed 20 (66.7%) to be malignant (Squamous cell carcinoma) out of which 17 (85%) were males and 3 (15%) females with male to female sex ratio of 5.7:1. Ten (33.3%) of the 30 cases were benign out of which 8 were males (80%) and 2 females (20%) with male to female sex ratio of 4:1.Malignant cases who had total laryngectomy, selective neck dissection with radiotherapy lived longer (minimum of 4 years) than those who had only total laryngectomy (maximum of 2(1/2) years) or only radiotherapy (6 months - 1 year). There was recurrent nodal neck lesions in 6 (30%) patients, five of which did not go for radiotherapy after surgery while one had postoperative radiotherapy. Two of these died from carotid artery rupture. Two female patients with malignant tumor who had total laryngectomy had babies born through safe vaginal delivery but eventually succumbed to the disease. CONCLUSION: There were more malignant (66.7%) laryngeal tumors than benign (33.3%) lesions with a male preponderance and strong association with cigarette smoking but no alcohol consumption. The mean age for malignant lesions was 47.9 years which signifies a considerably younger population while that of benign lesion was 6.1 years.

Evaluation of analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of ethanol extract of Ficus iteophylla leaves in rodents.

This study was undertaken to investigate the leaf part of the plant for analgesic and anti-inflammatory. The ethanol extract of Ficus iteophylla leaves (100, 200, and 400 mg kg(-1), i.p) was evaluated for analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities. The analgesic effect was studied using acetic acid-induced abdominal constriction and hot plate test in mice, while the anti-inflammatory effect was investigated using carrageenan induced paw oedema in rats. The ethanol extract at 100 mg kg(-1), 200 mg kg(-1), and 400 mg kg(-1) significantly (P< 0.05) inhibited acetic acid induced writhes by 1.50 ± 0.43, 3.0 ± 0.82 and 1.0 ± 0.82 respectively. It also exhibited significantly (P< 0.05) anti-inflammatory by 0.11 ± 0.02, 0.11 ± 0.03, 0.08 ± 0.01 respectively. The preliminary phytochemical screening of the plant extract revealed the presence of flavonoids, steroids, tannins and saponins while the effect of flavonoids, steroids and tannins on analgesic and inflammatory has been reported. The intraperitoneal median lethal dose (LD(50)) value of the extract was found to be 3807.8 mgkg(-1) body weights. The result obtained from this study shows that the extract of Ficus iteophylla contained phytochemical constituents with analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities, therefore the leaf part of the plant could be used in the management of pain and inflammatory conditions.