Economic Reforms, Living Conditions and Urban Violence: A Situation Analysis of Metropolitan Lagos

Urban poor have suffered significantly from structural adjustment through reduction in employment creation and downward pressure on real wages. The precarious effects of fluctuation in the formal and informal sectorson urban men and women are seldom noticed in the upsurge of urban violence and conflicts. The study specifically examined the impact of privatization and commercialisation on social conditions and livelihood ofurban people as the cause of gender differentials in urban violence. Metropolitan Lagos, the study area has been chosen for her level of urbanization and diverse characteristics. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used for data gathering. For quantitative data 252 questionnaires were administered and for qualitative, Focus Group Discussion (FGD) and In-depth interview were respectively used to enrich the study. The study revealed that more than two thirds of the respondents were affected by the economic reforms which have negative impact on their living conditions. It was also discovered that, there is strong relationship between incomes, education and ever participated in any forms of violence in the study area. The copping strategiesadopted in the study area include; involving children in street hawking, reduction in domestic consumptions, living in low-cost houses, entering big buses popularly know as “Molue” to reduce transportation cost within themetropolitan Lagos, sending children to public school or low-paying schools, and having sizable family size

NeuroGrid: recording action potentials from the surface of the brain.

Recording from neural networks at the resolution of action potentials is critical for understanding how information is processed in the brain. Here, we address this challenge by developing an organic material-based, ultraconformable, biocompatible and scalable neural interface array (the 'NeuroGrid') that can record both local field potentials(LFPs) and action potentials from superficial cortical neurons without penetrating the brain surface. Spikes with features of interneurons and pyramidal cells were simultaneously acquired by multiple neighboring electrodes of the NeuroGrid, allowing for the isolation of putative single neurons in rats. Spiking activity demonstrated consistent phase modulation by ongoing brain oscillations and was stable in recordings exceeding 1 week's duration. We also recorded LFP-modulated spiking activity intraoperatively in patients undergoing epilepsy surgery. The NeuroGrid constitutes an effective method for large-scale, stable recording of neuronal spikes in concert with local population synaptic activity, enhancing comprehension of neural processes across spatiotemporal scales and potentially facilitating diagnosis and therapy for brain disorders

Inflammatory linear verrucous epidermal naevus: Report of three cases in blacks

Background: Epidermal naevi are congenital harmatomas that arise from embryonal ectodermal cells. The inflammatory linear verrucous variant is rare and presents with disturbing symptoms. In blacks the classical erythema is not common but pruritus and discharge are the commonest features.Methods and results: We present inflammatory linear verrucous epidermal naevus in three black adults and illustrated its presentation in our population.Conclusion: Inflammatory linear verrucous epidermal naevus is a prurigenic dermatosis whose symptoms can alleviated with full thickness surgical excision.Keywords: epidermal, naevus, verrucous, excisio

Morphological Pattern of Testicular Biopsies in Zaria, Nigeria

Background: Infertility is an established social problem in Nigeria where women have always been blamed for by the society. This serious issue necessitated this review of morphologic patterns of testicular biopsies. Method: This study was a five-year retrospective histopathological analysis of testicular biopsies sent for histopathological examination at the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital Zaria - Nigeria (1st January 2001 to 31st December 2005). The slides were reviewed, relevant information were retrieved from histology bench books and request cards. Result: Testicular biopsies of eighty eight infertile men were examined and most biopsies were from the 35 – 39 years age group in 65.9% of cases. Hypospermatogenesis accounted for 68.2% of patients, while 11.4% had normal morphology. Granulomatous and non-specific orchitis were not uncommon. Conclusion: This study has highlighted the role of testicular biopsy in male infertility and majority of the selected cases show some pathological changes. Control of sexually transmitted diseases will reduce the burden of male infertility. Keywords: Testicular biopsy, infertility, Zaria. Nigerian Medical Journal Vol. 48 (3) 2007: pp. 69-7