A Systematic Review of Studies on Virtual Reality Use in Management of Pain

Background- Virtual reality (VR) is an effective drug-free tool for management of pain. However, its use remains elusive in developing countries like Nigeria.Objectives: To characterize studies conducted on using virtual reality in managing pain. Methods: A comprehensive systematic review was conducted for studies done globally from 2000 to 2016. Databases (Google, Pubmed, BioMed Central, Mendeley) were searched to identify eligible studies. Search terms included: Virtual reality, Virtual patients, and management of pain using VR. Data extracted included: Title/authors of articles, objectives, study design, methods, population, age group, primary disease conditions, VR equipment, environments, display technology/ senses needed, country of study, effect of VR plus pharmacologic analgesia, and study outcomes. Results: Out of 3821 potentially relevant articles identified 24(0.63%) were eligible. Fourteen (58.3%) and 8(33.3%) studies were Randomized Control Trials, and Case Studies/Reports respectively. A total of 8(33.3%) and 3(12.5%) studies were on Burn pain and Phantom limb pain respectively. Seventeen (70.8%) studies had adults as target population. Thirteen (54.2%) studies were done in the USA, 19 (79.2%) were Immersive VR, 15(62.5%) had head mounted display as display technology, and 22 (91.67%) had positive outcomes. VR plus pharmacologic analgesia 8 (33.37%) had positive outcomes. No study was found for Nigeria. Conclusion: This review demonstrates wide range of characteristics for studies encountered and VR is shown as effective for reducing pain in different disease conditions even when combined with pharmacological analgesia. The absence of studies on management of pain using VR in Nigeria calls for creation of awareness among major stakeholders

Nauclea latifolia herb root waste reinforced epoxy polymer composite: The study of effects, modelling, certainty and sensitivity analysis

The requirement for cleaner and healthy environment is a drive for waste recycling programs. In this study, suitable reinforcement for composite production was extracted from Nauclea latifolia herb root waste (NLHRW) through alkalization. Proximate composition and crystallinity of NLHRW and alkalized NLHRW (ANLHRW) were determined using gravimetric method and X-ray diffractometer (XRD). The individual and interaction effect of production factors (size, weight fraction, and mould compression force) on composite characteristics (flexural strength (FS), modulus (FM), and water absorption (WA)) of ANLHRW reinforced epoxy polymer composite was investigated, modeled and optimized using response surface methodology (RSM). The thermal stability and failure mechanism of the optimally developed ANLHRW reinforced composite were investigated using thermogravic analyzer (TGA) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). The sensitivities of the composite properties to production factors were investigated using Monte Carlo simulation (MCS). Results showed that alkali treatment improved the cellulose content and crystallinity of the fiber. Fiber size and weight fraction increased the FS and FM while mould compression force reduced the WA of the composite. The determined optimum composite production condition was 322.62 μm fiber size, 24.06 wt% fiber weight fraction and 98.10 N mould compression force to give a composite’s FS of 16.9905 MPa, FM of 1046.36 MPa and WA of 3.71057 %. The percentage validation error was 0.70, 0.56 and 0.80 % for FS, FM and WA respectively. The composite produced with the validated optimum condition showed a decrease in thermal resistance than cured unreinforced epoxy plastic and had varied failure mechanisms such as fiber pull out and fiber breakage. The composite properties were dominantly sensitive to fiber weight fraction. The composite produced can be applied in dry low-load bearing applications such as automobile interiors or wet no-load bearing application such as desert cooler pad

Anti-hemorrhagic activity of ethanol extract of Moringa oleifera leaf on envenomed albino rats

Echis ocellatus (E. ocellatus) is one of the most venomous viper species which constitutes significant economic and health problem all over the world, especially in rural African communities. Moringa oleifera (M. oleifera) is a tropical plant traditionally used in Nigeria for the treatment of many diseases including snakebites. This study, therefore, investigated the anti-haemorrhagic property of ethanol extract of M. oleifera leaf on E. ocellatus envenomed male albino rats. A comprehensive account of the bioactive compounds present in the M. oleifera ethanol leaf extract by means of using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis revealed the presence of 9, 12, 15-Octadecatrienoic acid (39.66%), hexadecanoic acid (16.71%), palmitic acid, ethyl ester (14.70%) and phytol (9.81%) as the major components of the leaf extract and some of these components serves as inhibitors of neurotoxins by suitably binding to the snake venom's toxic protein thereby terminating the poisonous effect of the venom. The LD50 of crude E. ocellatus venom was determined to be 0.22 mg/kg while that of ethanol extract of M. oleifera leaf was 800 mg/kg. Envenomation of E. ocellatus venom results in deleterious hematological and histopathological changes in the heart in a dose-dependent manner. Rat given 0.22 mg/kg of E. ocellatus venom (2 mL) and treated with 200 mg/kg, 400 mg/kg and 800 mg/kg of M. oleifera ethanolic leaf extract (2 ml) intradermally show the least heamorrhagic foci at 800 mg/kg of the extract. Pre-incubation of the extract with E. ocellatus venom before injecting animals further enhances the anti-haemorrhagic action of M. oleifera ethanolic leaf extract. Our findings revealed that M. oleifera ethanolic leaf extract is a promising therapeutic agent for the treatment of E. ocellatus snakebite envenomation. Hence, further studies on M. oleifera leaf are warranted

Epidemiological evaluation of onchocerciasis along Ogun River System, southwest Nigeria

Background & objective: Epidemiological studies were carried out to assess the prevalence and communitymicrofilarial load (CMFL) of onchocerciasis after repeated annual treatment with ivermectin along Ogun riverSystem, southwest Nigeria.Method: Skin snips were taken from consented participants in 11 selected communities along the River system.The microfilarial load of the community was estimated.Results: The prevalence and CMFL varied significantly in the communities (p <0.05). The prevalence ofonchocerciasis ranged from 19.1 to 45.6%, while the CMFL ranged from 0.11 to 1.03 microfilariae per skinsnip. The CMFL recorded was <5 microfilariae per skin snip, i.e. recognized by WHO as threshold value incertifying the communities to be free of onchocerciasis as public health problem, thus, signifying the possibilityof onchocerciasis elimination in the study area.Conclusion: Efforts should therefore be intensified to achieve improved ivermectin coverage and compliance inannual ivermectin treatment in order to completely eliminate onchocerciasis as a public health problem in thestudied communities