Emotional distress among caregivers of patients with epilepsy in Katsina State, Northern Nigeria

Objective: Caregivers of patients with epilepsy experience considerable emotional distress. The study aimed to assess the magnitude of the problem in a developing country. Method: A total 166 patients-caregivers were enrolled for the study. Theywere interviewed using a socio-demographic data collecting sheet and the Hospital Anxiety-Depression Scale (HADS). Data obtained were analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences Windows version 13. All statistical tests were carried out at a 5% level of probability. Results: The mean age of the caregivers was 45.44±6.67 years. Emotional distress was found among 109(65.7%) of the caregivers. This is was significantly associated with male gender of both care giver and patient as well as residing in a rural area.Conclusion: The study demonstrated a high level of emotional distress associated with caring for patients with epilepsy, which is comparable to other studies carried out in other parts of the world.Key words: Epilepsy; Caregivers; Emotions; Nigeri

ETHNOBOTANY, PHYTOCHEMISTRY AND PHARMACOLOGY OF OCHNA SCHWEINFURTHIANA: A REVIEW

Ochna schweinfurthiana (Os, Family: Ochnaceae) is a small evergreen tree used in ethnomedicine to treat different ailments; it is also used in agri-horticulture and as ornaments, dyes among others. It is a rich source of complex dimers of flavonoids and used for treatment of pain, inflammation, and arthritis. Chemical investigations carried out on the different parts of the plant have been confined to phenolic compounds majorly, bioflavonoids, glycosides, steroids and terpenes. The plant, O. schweinfurthiana have shown a wide spectrum of biological and pharmacological properties which include antimicrobial, cytotoxic/antiproliferative, genotoxicity, antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antiplasmodial.  This review comprehensively summarizes the potential effects of the plant O. schweinfurthiana, chemically and pharmacologically. However, more researches in the aspect of phytochemical and biological studies are needed to exhaustively isolate bioactive compounds and evaluate their effects on other ailments as claimed by the traditional healers.                    Peer Review History: Received 20 Nov 2019;   Revised 19 December; Accepted 28 December, Available online 15 January 2020 Academic Editor: Ahmad Najib, Universitas Muslim Indonesia,  Indonesia, [email protected] UJPR follows the most transparent and toughest ‘Advanced OPEN peer review’ system. The identity of the authors and, reviewers will be known to each other. This transparent process will help to eradicate any possible malicious/purposeful interference by any person (publishing staff, reviewer, editor, author, etc) during peer review. As a result of this unique system, all reviewers will get their due recognition and respect, once their names are published in the papers. We expect that, by publishing peer review reports with published papers, will be helpful to many authors for drafting their article according to the specifications. Auhors will remove any error of their article and they will improve their article(s) according to the previous reports displayed with published article(s). The main purpose of it is ‘to improve the quality of a candidate manuscript’. Our reviewers check the ‘strength and weakness of a manuscript honestly’. There will increase in the perfection, and transparency. Received file:                Reviewer's Comments: Average Peer review marks at initial stage: 5.5/10 Average Peer review marks at publication stage: 7.5/10 Reviewer(s) detail: Dr. Mohamed Derbali, Faculty of Pharmacy, Monastir, Tunisia, [email protected] Ahmad Najib, Universitas Muslim Indonesia, Makassar, Indonesia, [email protected]  Similar Articles: ANTIHYPERGLYCEMIC AND ANTI-OXIDANT POTENTIAL OF ETHANOL EXTRACT OF VITEX THYRSIFLORA LEAVES ON DIABETIC RAT

Genital self-mutilation in schizophrenic patients. a report of two cases

Schizophrenia is a serious psychiatric disorder that requires long-term treatment. Poor adherence to medication can lead to serious and possibly life-threatening complications. Genital selfmutilation has been reported in some schizophrenic patients in response to delusions or command auditory hallucination. We report two patients with schizophrenia who carried out genital selfmutilation in response to delusional belief

ANTIFUNGAL EFFECTS OF TAPINANTHUS GLOBIFERUS GROWING ON VITEXDONIANA AGAINST SOME FUNGAL ISOLATES

Objective: Fungal infections are the major cause of many skin diseases, especially in developing countries. Natural products of medicinal value represent a potential source of chemotherapeutic agents. Tapinanthus globiferus has been used extensively in ethnomedicine for the treatment hypertension, ulcer, cancer, diabetes and fungal infections without a scientific basis. This work was aimed at screening the phytochemical constituents and evaluating the antifungal properties of methanol leaf extract its ethyl acetate and n-butanol fractions of T. globiferus against some clinical fungal isolates including Candida albicans, Trychophyton mentagrophytes, Trychophyton  rubrum and Aspergillus niger using agar well diffusion and broth micro-dilution techniques. Methods: Preliminary screening of phytochemical constituents of extract and fractions of T. globiferus indicated the presence of carbohydrates, alkaloids, glycosides, tannins, flavonoids,  saponins, steroids and triterpenes. Results: The methanol extract and its fractions demonstrated significant (P<0.05) antifungal effect  against all the test organisms with mean zone of inhibition ranging from 27.83±0.16 – 14.46±0.29mm which was higher compared to that of the standard drug, Fluconazole (26.1±0.44 –18.49±0.16 mm). The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) of the extract ranged between 6.25 – 25.0 mg/mL; ethyl acetate fraction had 3.13 – 25.0 mg/mL while n-butanol fraction had the least MIC ranging from 0.39-12.5 mg/mL against the test organisms. Conclusion: Study concluded that T. globiferus have good antifungal activity validating the ethnomedicinal claim for the use of the plant in the treating fungal diseases.                           Peer Review History: Received 2 January 2020;   Revised 25 February; Accepted 1 March, Available online 15 March 2020 Academic Editor: Dr. Ali Abdullah Al-yahawi, Al-Razi university, Department of Pharmacy, Yemen, [email protected] UJPR follows the most transparent and toughest ‘Advanced OPEN peer review’ system. The identity of the authors and, reviewers will be known to each other. This transparent process will help to eradicate any possible malicious/purposeful interference by any person (publishing staff, reviewer, editor, author, etc) during peer review. As a result of this unique system, all reviewers will get their due recognition and respect, once their names are published in the papers. We expect that, by publishing peer review reports with published papers, will be helpful to many authors for drafting their article according to the specifications. Auhors will remove any error of their article and they will improve their article(s) according to the previous reports displayed with published article(s). The main purpose of it is ‘to improve the quality of a candidate manuscript’. Our reviewers check the ‘strength and weakness of a manuscript honestly’. There will increase in the perfection, and transparency. Received file:                Reviewer's Comments: Average Peer review marks at initial stage: 6.0/10 Average Peer review marks at publication stage: 7.5/10 Reviewer(s) detail: Dr. Gehan Fawzy Abdel Raoof Kandeel, Pharmacognosy Department, National Research Centre, Dokki, 12622,  Giza, Egypt, [email protected] Prof. Dr. Ali Gamal Ahmed Al-kaf, Sana'a university, Yemen, [email protected] Dr. Mahmut Yıldıztekin, Muğla Sıtkı Koçman University, Turkey, [email protected] Similar Articles: ANTIFUNGAL, CYTOTOXIC AND PHYTOTOXICITY OF AERIAL PART OF RANUNCULUS MURICATUS PHYTOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS AND ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF COLOCASIA ESCULENTA (TARO) MEDICINAL PLANT LEAVES USED IN FOLK MEDICINE FOR TREATMENT OF WOUNDS AND BURNS IN HUFASH DISTRICT AL MAHWEET GOVERNORATE–YEME

Alcohol-Related Problems And High Risk Sexual Behaviour In Patients With Hiv/Aids Attending Medical Clinic In A Nigerian University Teaching Hospital

This study was designed to determine the rate of alcohol related-problems in patients with HIV/ AIDS and its association with high risk sexual behavior. A consecutive sample of 120 patients with HIV/AIDS attending the Medical Out-patient Department (M.O.P.D) in Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (A.B.U.T.H), Zaria was assessed. All participants were screened for alcohol related problems using the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT). High risk sexual behavior was assessed using the HIV Risk-taking Behavior Questionnaire (HRBQ). Alcohol-related problems were found in 28.3% of participants (10% had hazardous use, 3.3% had harmful use and 15% had alcohol dependence). There was a significant association between alcohol-related problems and risky sexual behavior. Alcohol-related problems are fairly common in people already infected with HIV/AIDS and are associated with high-risk sexual behavior. Thus, screening and treatment should be part of an effective HIV intervention program. Key Words: Alcohol related problems, high-risk sexual behavior, hazardous use, harmful use, alcohol dependenc

Isolation and Characterization of Stigmasterol and Bis-(5, 7-diacetyl-catechin-4’-α- rhamnopyranoside) from the Stem bark of Neocarya macrophylla (Sabine) Prance (Chrysobalanaceae)

Neocarya macrophylla belongs to the Chrysobalanaceae family and is extensively used in folk medicine as an antibacterial, antivenin, antiasthmatic, anticancer, analgesic and anti-inflammatory agent. This study was aimed at isolation and characterization of compounds from the stem bark of Neocarya macrophylla.  Pulverized plant material was exhaustively extracted with methanol using maceration method and concentrated invacuo with the aid of rotary evaporator at 40oC to afford a reddish brown crude methanol extract (ME). The methanol extract was successively partitioned into hexane, dichloromethane, ethylacetate, n-butanol and aqueous fractions. Stigmasterol was isolated from the hexane fraction and a catechin glycoside, Bis-(5,7-diacetyl-catechin-4’-α- rhamnopyranoside) was  isolated from the ethylacetate soluble fraction using a combination of silica gel column, gel filtration (sephadex LH-20) and preparative thin layer chromatography. The structures of the compounds were established on the basis of chemical tests, spectroscopic analysis and by comparison with reference spectral data.Keywords: Neocarya macrophylla, phytochemical, stigmasterol, Bis-(5, 7-diacetyl-catechin-4’-α-rhamnopyranoside)

Sister Mary Joseph's Nodule at a University Teaching Hospital in Northwestern Tanzania: A Retrospective Review of 34 cases.

Sister Mary Joseph's nodule is a metastatic tumor deposit in the umbilicus and often represents advanced intra-abdominal malignancy with dismal prognosis. There is a paucity of published data on this subject in our setting. This study was conducted to describe the clinicopathological presentation and treatment outcome of this condition in our environment and highlight challenges associated with the care of these patients, and to proffer solutions for improved outcome. This was a retrospective study of histologically confirmed cases of Sister Mary Joseph's nodule seen at Bugando Medical Centre between March 2003 and February 2013. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics. A total of 34 patients were enrolled in the study. Males outnumbered females by a ratio of 1.4:1. The vast majority of patients (70.6%) presented with large umbilical nodule > 2 cm in size. The stomach (41.1%) was the most common location of the primary tumor. Adenocarcinoma (88.2%) was the most frequent histopathological type. Most of the primary tumors (52.9%) were poorly differentiated. As the disease was advanced and metastatic in all patients, only palliative therapy was offered. Out of 34 patients, 11 patients died in the hospital giving a mortality rate of 32.4%. Patients were followed up for 24 months. At the end of the follow-up period, 14(60.9%) patients were lost to follow-up and the remaining 9 (39.1%) patients died. Patients survived for a median period of 28 weeks (range, 2 to 64 weeks). The nodule recurred in 6 (26.1%) patients after complete excision. Sister Mary Joseph's nodule of the umbilicus is not rare in our environment and often represents manifestation of a variety of advanced intra-abdominal malignancies. The majority of the patients present at a late stage and many with distant metastases. The patient's survival is very short leading to a poor outcome. Early detection of primary cancer at an early stage may improve the prognosis

Adiposity has differing associations with incident coronary heart disease and mortality in the Scottish population: cross-sectional surveys with follow-up

Objective: Investigation of the association of excess adiposity with three different outcomes: all-cause mortality, coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality and incident CHD. Design: Cross-sectional surveys linked to hospital admissions and death records. Subjects: 19 329 adults (aged 18–86 years) from a representative sample of the Scottish population. Measurements: Gender-stratified Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) for all-cause mortality, CHD mortality and incident CHD. Separate models incorporating the anthropometric measurements body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) or waist–hip ratio (WHR) were created adjusted for age, year of survey, smoking status and alcohol consumption. Results: For both genders, BMI-defined obesity (greater than or equal to30 kg m−2) was not associated with either an increased risk of all-cause mortality or CHD mortality. However, there was an increased risk of incident CHD among the obese men (hazard ratio (HR)=1.78; 95% confidence interval=1.37–2.31) and obese women (HR=1.93; 95% confidence interval=1.44–2.59). There was a similar pattern for WC with regard to the three outcomes; for incident CHD, the HR=1.70 (1.35–2.14) for men and 1.71 (1.28–2.29) for women in the highest WC category (men greater than or equal to102 cm, women greater than or equal to88 cm), synonymous with abdominal obesity. For men, the highest category of WHR (greater than or equal to1.0) was associated with an increased risk of all-cause mortality (1.29; 1.04–1.60) and incident CHD (1.55; 1.19–2.01). Among women with a high WHR (greater than or equal to0.85) there was an increased risk of all outcomes: all-cause mortality (1.56; 1.26–1.94), CHD mortality (2.49; 1.36–4.56) and incident CHD (1.76; 1.31–2.38). Conclusions: In this study excess adiposity was associated with an increased risk of incident CHD but not necessarily death. One possibility is that modern medical intervention has contributed to improved survival of first CHD events. The future health burden of increased obesity levels may manifest as an increase in the prevalence of individuals living with CHD and its consequences

Pancreatic cancer in type 1 and young-onset diabetes: systematic review and meta-analysis

We conducted a systematic review of the risk of pancreatic cancer in people with type I and young-onset diabetes. In three cohort and six case–control studies, the relative risk for pancreatic cancer in people with (vs without) diabetes was 2.00 (95% confidence interval 1.37–3.01) based on 39 cases with diabetes

The internal thoracic artery skeletonization study: A paired, within-patient comparison [NCT00265499]

BACKGROUND: Traditional harvesting of the internal thoracic artery (ITA) for use as a conduit in coronary bypass surgery involves the dissection of a rim of tissue surrounding the artery on either side. Recent studies, primarily observational, have suggested that skeletonization of the ITA can improve conduit flow, increase length, and reduce the risk of deep sternal infection in high risk patients. Furthermore, skeletonization of the ITA can potentially preserve intercostal nerves and reduce post-operative pain and dysesthesias associated with ITA harvesting. In order to assess the effects of ITA skeletonization, we report a prospective, randomized, within-patient study design that shares many features of a cross-over study. METHODS: Patients undergoing bilateral internal thoracic artery harvest will be randomized to having one side skeletonized and the other harvested in a non-skeletonized manner. Outcome measures include ITA flow and length measured intra-operatively, post-operative pain and dysesthesia, evaluated at discharge, four weeks, and three months post-operatively, and sternal perfusion assessed using single photon emission computed tomography. Harvest times as well as safety endpoints of ITA injury will be recorded. DISCUSSION: This study design, using within-patient comparisons and paired analyses, minimizes the variability of the outcome measures, which is seldom possible in the evaluation of surgical techniques, with minimal chance of carryover effects that can hamper the interpretation of traditional cross-over studies. This study will provide a valid evaluation of clinically relevant effects of internal thoracic artery skeletonization in improving outcomes following coronary artery bypass surgery