Antifungal Activity of Hyptis spicigera Methanol Leaf Extract and Flavonoid Fraction

Control of plant fungal diseases using synthetic fungicides continue to cause major problems to human health and the entire ecosystem. The aim of this research was to investigate the phytochemical and antifungal properties of Hyptis spicigera methanol leaf extract and flavonoid fraction on Aspergillus and Fusarium species, with a view to uncovering effective bio-fungicides for development as substitutes to chemical fungicides. Phytochemical screening revealed the presence of sterols and triterpenes, cardiac glycosides, flavonoids, tannins and alkaloids. The quantitative analysis showed that saponin (690 mg/g GAE), phenolics (220 mg/g GAE) and flavonoids (140 mg/g GAE) were found to be in high concentration. The antifungal effects of H. spicigera methanol extract on F. graminearum (21 mm) was significantly (p<0.05) higher than the control fungicide (Mancozeb). Similarly, the flavonoid fraction was more effective on A. parasitic (18 mm) than the control fungicide used. The extract and fraction exhibited MIC with range 3.13-12.5 mg/mL and MFC 6.25-12.5 mg/mL, indicating promising antifungal efficacies against A. flavus and F. graminearum. Our findings have revealed that H. spicigera flavonoid rich fraction has potential for development as effective bio-fungicide to control plant fungal diseases of the Aspergillus and Fusarium species

Assessment of quality of life among patients attending HIV clinics in Ilorin metropolis

Objectives: The Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), is being hit hard by the epidemic of AcquiredImmunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and carries the globe's heaviest burden of HIV/AIDS. HIV/AIDS has been transformed into a chronic condition, albeit one with no cure, making it important to assess determinants of quality of life (QoL) and, if required, improve the QoL of People Living with HIV (PLHIV). The study assessed the determinants of quality of life of patients attending HIV clinics in Ilorin metropolis.Methods: The study was a descriptive cross sectional study. A sample size of 384 HIV positive patients who were systematically recruited at the 5 public service delivery sites in Ilorin. Data was analyzed using SPSS software version 20.0. Level of significance was pre-determined at p-value < 0.05 at a confidence level of 95%.Results: Majority 213 (55.5%) of the respondents had good QoL, while 171 (44.5%) had low QoL with overall Mean score of 68±14. This study showed that being employed, high income, and low cost of care were associated with good health related (HRQoL). Regression analysis revealed that age > 30yrs (odds = 1.5), longer duration on Highly Active Anti-retroviral Therapy (HAART) >3yrs (Odds = 1.5), CD4 count >500cells/mm3 (Odds = 1.2), high monthly income (Odds=1.6) and low cost of care (Odds= 1.27) were found to determine good QoL.Conclusion: Government should therefore expand access to HIV care by considering more Primary Health Care facilities as Anti-Retroviral Therapy ( ART) treatment centers.Key words: Quality of life, Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Patients, Anti-Retroviral Therap

Effect of training on knowledge, attitude and practice of safety measures among battery chargers in Ilorin metropolis

Objective: Good knowledge of safety measures against hazards of lead-acid battery work is important in the control of the work-related health problems. The study assessed the effects of training on knowledge, attitude and practice of safety measures among battery chargers in Ilorin, Nigeria.Methods: The study was a quasi-experimental (non-randomized) study with pretest and post-test design. A total of 107 battery chargers were recruited each for intervention and control group. The study group was offered training on occupational safety measures while the control group did not have training at this stage. Post intervention data was collected 12 weeks after the pre-intervention. Multistage sampling technique was used to select 214 registered battery chargers working in Ilorin in to the study. Data obtained through interviewer-administered questionnaires were analysed using SPSS version 16 software.Results: Less than one-fifth (15.9%) of the study group had good knowledge of hazards relating to battery which increased significantly to more than three-quarters (76.2%) post-intervention. The majority (85.0%) of the study group and (86.0%) of the control group had positive attitude towards safety measures pre-intervention. There was no significant improvement in attitude post intervention. The safety practice of less than one-tenth (6.5%) of the study group was rated good pre-intervention which increased significantly to almost one-fifth (17.8%) post-intervention. There was no significant improvement in the Kwowledge, attidude or practice of safety measures among the control group post intervention.Conclusion: Association of the battery chargers should organize in conjunction with the health institutions training of their members on hazards prevention and safety practices.Keywords: Training, battery, safety measures, workers, Ilori

Nosocomial infections and the challenges of control in developing countries.

Nosocomial infection is a recognized public health problem world-wide with a prevalence rate of 3.0-20.7% and an incidence rate of 5-10%. It has become increasingly obvious that infections acquired in the hospital lead to increased morbidity and mortality which has added noticeably to economic burden. However, after about three decades of nosocomial infection surveillance and control world-wide, it still remains an important problem for hospitals today. Studies have shown that most hospitals in developing countries especially Africa, have no effective infection control programme due to lack of awareness of the problem, lack of personnel, poor water supply, erratic electricity supply, ineffective antibiotic policies with emergence of multiply antibiotic resistant microbes, poor laboratory backup, poor funding and non-adherence to safe practices by health workers. It is recommended that the cost of hospital infection control programme should be included in the health budget of the country and fund allocated for the infection control committee for routine control purposes and to bear the cost of outbreaks. There is need for adequate staffing and continuous education of staff on the principles of infection control, especially hand washing which is the single most important effective measure to reduce the risks of cross infection.

Evaluation of Fecundity for Variants of Laboratory Bred Glossina Morsitan Submorsitan and Glossina Palpalis Palpalis Exposed to Ethanol at Larval Stage

22 nos Larvae of Glossina morsitan submorsitan and Glossina palpalis palpalis collected from the insectary after larviposition was immediately exposed to 50% ethanol and observed for puparium time; Glossina Palpalis palpalis indicated an average of 13.22min while Glossina morsitan submorsitan indicated an average of 10.72mins. The average emergence period of the F1 generation of young tsetse flies for both species were 30 days. After mating, 16 nos exposed variant of all Glossina morsitan submorsitan did not produce any offspring while 2 nos of Glossina palpalis palpalis larviposited. The study reveals that Glossina palpalis palpalis maintained a normal fecundity irrespective of larvae exposure to alcohol while Glossina morsitan submorsitan maintained a null fecundity thus showing remarkable result for possible derivative insecticidal control of the Glossina morsitan submorsitan. Keywords: fecundity, Glossina morsitan submorsitan, Glossina palpalia palpalis, trypanosomiasi

Haematological changes in Wistar rats experimentally infected with Trypanosoma congolense and Trypanosoma brucei brucei obtained from North-west Nigeria

This study determined haematological changes in Wistar rats experimentally infected with local strains of Trypanosoma congolense and Trypanosoma brucei brucei. Forty-five Wistar rats between 10 – 12 weeks old weighing between 210 – 240 g were used. The Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups (A, B, C and D), with the infected groups (B, C and D) having 10 rats each, while the uninfected control group (A) had 15 rats. Group A rats were not infected and served as the control, group B were infected with Trypanosoma congolense, group C were infected with Trypanosoma brucei brucei and group D were co-infected with Trypanosoma congolense and Trypanosoma brucei brucei. Infection was achieved using 0.1mL of blood containing approximately 1 × 103 trypanosomes intraperitoneally into each Wistar rat in the infected groups. Clinical signs were observed. The changes in the blood cells were assayed in the groups post-infection. Duncan’s Least Square Deviation showed significantly (p<0.05) higher parasitaemia in infected groups. However, group D showed a higher significant (p<0.05) difference in parasitaemia when compared to groups B and C. The pattern of mean parasitaemia for the infected groups, revealed a positive correlation with days of post-infection (p<0.05) before the decline. The packed cell volume, total red blood cell count and haemoglobin concentration were significantly (p<0.05) lower in infected groups B, C and D. The total white blood cell count, platelet counts and differential leucocyte count were significantly (p<0.05) lower in infected groups when compared to the uninfected group. These findings suggest that co-infection with Trypanosoma congolense and Trypanosoma brucei brucei obtained from Wurno and Ngaski in Sokoto and Kebbi States respectively produced a more damaging effect on haematological parameters

Effects of Calcitriol Supplementation on the Hematological Parameters of Sleep Deprived Wistar Rats

The present study investigates the hematologic effect of Calcitriol on rats undergoing sleep deprivation. Male Wistar rats were treated with Calcitriol 120 ng/kg and subjected to sleep deprivation for four successive days. Twenty four hour after last injection, animals were sacrificed and blood was collected for haematological analysis. A four-day sleep restriction caused a decline in total white cell count and increased mean cell hemoglobin and mean cell volume. Furthermore, red blood cell count, packed cell volume, hemoglobin concentration and mean cell hemoglobin concentration also declined in sleep deprived rats. Peripheral blood cell examination revealed that these effects were mild in rats treated with calcitriol. Our findings showed that a four-day paradoxical sleep restriction altered the biochemical integrity of erythrocytes. The observed immunosuppressive effects of sleep deprivation were reversed by exogenous vitamin D supplement, calcitriol. However, only the functional haemoglobin component of red cells was enhanced by a high dose of calcitriol which appears unbeneficial for other units of the erythroid-forming processes. It is therefore possible that the erythrocytic enhancing power of calcitriol is dose dependent and we suggest that lower doses (<120ng/kg) may be required to produce beneficial effects on erythropoiesis

Fabrication of CuO nanoparticle interlinked microsphere cages by solution method

Here we report a very simple method to convert conventional CuO powders to nanoparticle interlinked microsphere cages by solution method. CuO is dissolved into aqueous ammonia, and the solution is diluted by alcohol and dip coating onto a glass substrate. Drying at 80 °C, the nanostructures with bunchy nanoparticles of Cu(OH)2can be formed. After the substrate immerges into the solution and we vaporize the solution, hollow microspheres can be formed onto the substrate. There are three phases in the as-prepared samples, monoclinic tenorite CuO, orthorhombic Cu(OH)2, and monoclinic carbonatodiamminecopper(II) (Cu(NH3)2CO3). After annealing at 150 °C, the products convert to CuO completely. At annealing temperature above 350 °C, the hollow microspheres became nanoparticle interlinked cages

The practice of hepatocellular cancer surveillance in Nigeria

Background: Hepatocellular cancer is a disease of global and public health importance due to the widespread distribution of risk factors and associated high case fatality. Hepatocellular Cancer (HCC) in Sub-Saharan Africa is commonly seen among the younger age groups (&lt;45 years) who present mostly in the terminal stage, when the disease is not amenable to any curative therapy. Hepatocellular Carcinoma surveillance employs the use of simple, cheap and readily available investigations, to detect early curable cancer in individuals with risk factors for HCC.Objectives:The aim of this study is to assess the practice of hepatocellular cancer screening among physicians.Methodolgy:This is a nationwide online survey carried out among physicians who care for patients with HCC. A questionnaire was sent out via a web link to all consenting doctors in Nigeria. The responses were collated in a cloud-based application and data was analysed using Epi-info version 20.Results:Atotal of 218 respondents, 142 were males (65.1 %) with a mean age of 37.6 ± 5.7 years. The modal age group was 31-40 years 153 (69.5%). The main factors considered as a hindrance to surveillance were; the cost of the tests (57.7%), failure of return of patients (50.5%) and not being aware of a surveillance program (45.2 %). The majority of the respondents were Gastroenterologists and Family Physicians. 54% of the gastroenterologists and 64% of the family physicians have never offered HCC surveillance to their patients.Conclusion:This survey highlights a knowledge gap in HCC surveillance among physicians. There is a need to make HCCsurveillance a daily routine among patients at risk by all physicians. Keywords: Surveillance, Hepatocellular Carcinoma, HBV, HCV, Cancer screening

Primary stroke prevention worldwide : translating evidence into action

Funding Information: The stroke services survey reported in this publication was partly supported by World Stroke Organization and Auckland University of Technology. VLF was partly supported by the grants received from the Health Research Council of New Zealand. MOO was supported by the US National Institutes of Health (SIREN U54 HG007479) under the H3Africa initiative and SIBS Genomics (R01NS107900, R01NS107900-02S1, R01NS115944-01, 3U24HG009780-03S5, and 1R01NS114045-01), Sub-Saharan Africa Conference on Stroke Conference (1R13NS115395-01A1), and Training Africans to Lead and Execute Neurological Trials & Studies (D43TW012030). AGT was supported by the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council. SLG was supported by a National Heart Foundation of Australia Future Leader Fellowship and an Australian National Health and Medical Research Council synergy grant. We thank Anita Arsovska (University Clinic of Neurology, Skopje, North Macedonia), Manoj Bohara (HAMS Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal), Denis ?erimagi? (Poliklinika Glavi?, Dubrovnik, Croatia), Manuel Correia (Hospital de Santo Ant?nio, Porto, Portugal), Daissy Liliana Mora Cuervo (Hospital Moinhos de Vento, Porto Alegre, Brazil), Anna Cz?onkowska (Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, Warsaw, Poland), Gloria Ekeng (Stroke Care International, Dartford, UK), Jo?o Sargento-Freitas (Centro Hospitalar e Universit?rio de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal), Yuriy Flomin (MC Universal Clinic Oberig, Kyiv, Ukraine), Mehari Gebreyohanns (UT Southwestern Medical Centre, Dallas, TX, USA), Ivete Pillo Gon?alves (Hospital S?o Jos? do Avai, Itaperuna, Brazil), Claiborne Johnston (Dell Medical School, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA), Kristaps Jurj?ns (P Stradins Clinical University Hospital, Riga, Latvia), Rizwan Kalani (University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA), Grzegorz Kozera (Medical University of Gda?sk, Gda?sk, Poland), Kursad Kutluk (Dokuz Eylul University, ?zmir, Turkey), Branko Malojcic (University Hospital Centre Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia), Micha? Maluchnik (Ministry of Health, Warsaw, Poland), Evija Migl?ne (P Stradins Clinical University Hospital, Riga, Latvia), Cassandra Ocampo (University of Botswana, Princess Marina Hospital, Botswana), Louise Shaw (Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust, Bath, UK), Lekhjung Thapa (Upendra Devkota Memorial-National Institute of Neurological and Allied Sciences, Kathmandu, Nepal), Bogdan Wojtyniak (National Institute of Public Health, Warsaw, Poland), Jie Yang (First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, China), and Tomasz Zdrojewski (Medical University of Gda?sk, Gda?sk, Poland) for their comments on early draft of the manuscript. The views expressed in this article are solely the responsibility of the authors and they do not necessarily reflect the views, decisions, or policies of the institution with which they are affiliated. We thank WSO for funding. The funder had no role in the design, data collection, analysis and interpretation of the study results, writing of the report, or the decision to submit the study results for publication. Funding Information: The stroke services survey reported in this publication was partly supported by World Stroke Organization and Auckland University of Technology. VLF was partly supported by the grants received from the Health Research Council of New Zealand. MOO was supported by the US National Institutes of Health (SIREN U54 HG007479) under the H3Africa initiative and SIBS Genomics (R01NS107900, R01NS107900-02S1, R01NS115944-01, 3U24HG009780-03S5, and 1R01NS114045-01), Sub-Saharan Africa Conference on Stroke Conference (1R13NS115395-01A1), and Training Africans to Lead and Execute Neurological Trials & Studies (D43TW012030). AGT was supported by the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council. SLG was supported by a National Heart Foundation of Australia Future Leader Fellowship and an Australian National Health and Medical Research Council synergy grant. We thank Anita Arsovska (University Clinic of Neurology, Skopje, North Macedonia), Manoj Bohara (HAMS Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal), Denis Čerimagić (Poliklinika Glavić, Dubrovnik, Croatia), Manuel Correia (Hospital de Santo António, Porto, Portugal), Daissy Liliana Mora Cuervo (Hospital Moinhos de Vento, Porto Alegre, Brazil), Anna Członkowska (Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, Warsaw, Poland), Gloria Ekeng (Stroke Care International, Dartford, UK), João Sargento-Freitas (Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal), Yuriy Flomin (MC Universal Clinic Oberig, Kyiv, Ukraine), Mehari Gebreyohanns (UT Southwestern Medical Centre, Dallas, TX, USA), Ivete Pillo Gonçalves (Hospital São José do Avai, Itaperuna, Brazil), Claiborne Johnston (Dell Medical School, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA), Kristaps Jurjāns (P Stradins Clinical University Hospital, Riga, Latvia), Rizwan Kalani (University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA), Grzegorz Kozera (Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland), Kursad Kutluk (Dokuz Eylul University, İzmir, Turkey), Branko Malojcic (University Hospital Centre Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia), Michał Maluchnik (Ministry of Health, Warsaw, Poland), Evija Miglāne (P Stradins Clinical University Hospital, Riga, Latvia), Cassandra Ocampo (University of Botswana, Princess Marina Hospital, Botswana), Louise Shaw (Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust, Bath, UK), Lekhjung Thapa (Upendra Devkota Memorial-National Institute of Neurological and Allied Sciences, Kathmandu, Nepal), Bogdan Wojtyniak (National Institute of Public Health, Warsaw, Poland), Jie Yang (First Affiliated Hospital of Chengdu Medical College, Chengdu, China), and Tomasz Zdrojewski (Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland) for their comments on early draft of the manuscript. The views expressed in this article are solely the responsibility of the authors and they do not necessarily reflect the views, decisions, or policies of the institution with which they are affiliated. We thank WSO for funding. The funder had no role in the design, data collection, analysis and interpretation of the study results, writing of the report, or the decision to submit the study results for publication. Funding Information: VLF declares that the PreventS web app and Stroke Riskometer app are owned and copyrighted by Auckland University of Technology; has received grants from the Brain Research New Zealand Centre of Research Excellence (16/STH/36), Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC; APP1182071), and World Stroke Organization (WSO); is an executive committee member of WSO, honorary medical director of Stroke Central New Zealand, and CEO of New Zealand Stroke Education charitable Trust. AGT declares funding from NHMRC (GNT1042600, GNT1122455, GNT1171966, GNT1143155, and GNT1182017), Stroke Foundation Australia (SG1807), and Heart Foundation Australia (VG102282); and board membership of the Stroke Foundation (Australia). SLG is funded by the National Health Foundation of Australia (Future Leader Fellowship 102061) and NHMRC (GNT1182071, GNT1143155, and GNT1128373). RM is supported by the Implementation Research Network in Stroke Care Quality of the European Cooperation in Science and Technology (project CA18118) and by the IRIS-TEPUS project from the inter-excellence inter-cost programme of the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic (project LTC20051). BN declares receiving fees for data management committee work for SOCRATES and THALES trials for AstraZeneca and fees for data management committee work for NAVIGATE-ESUS trial from Bayer. All other authors declare no competing interests. Publisher Copyright: © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 licenseStroke is the second leading cause of death and the third leading cause of disability worldwide and its burden is increasing rapidly in low-income and middle-income countries, many of which are unable to face the challenges it imposes. In this Health Policy paper on primary stroke prevention, we provide an overview of the current situation regarding primary prevention services, estimate the cost of stroke and stroke prevention, and identify deficiencies in existing guidelines and gaps in primary prevention. We also offer a set of pragmatic solutions for implementation of primary stroke prevention, with an emphasis on the role of governments and population-wide strategies, including task-shifting and sharing and health system re-engineering. Implementation of primary stroke prevention involves patients, health professionals, funders, policy makers, implementation partners, and the entire population along the life course.publishersversionPeer reviewe