An Assessment of Adherence to Professional Ethics and Practices among Medical Radiographers in Lagos State, Nigeria.

Background: Radiography practice integrates scientific knowledge and technical skills which has to be complemented by regular exercise of sound professional and ethical judgment in order to ensure qualitypatient care and acquisition of useful diagnostic information. This study investigated the extent of adherence to professional ethics and practices by practicing radiographers in Lagos state, Nigeria.Methodology: A structured, self administered questionnaire was randomly distributed to two hundred practicing radiographers in various public and private healthcare facilities in Lagos state. The respondents were broadly assessed on ethical handling of patients, adherence to continuous professional development & training, and participation in other professional responsibilities. The completed questionnaires were verified and corroborated by substantiated proof of claim by each respondent. Data analysis was by a statisticalsoftware Epi-Info.3.5.1 version.Results: Majority (85%) of the respondents rated ethical handling of patients excellent. However, none of the respondents had regular implementation of quality assurance on their equipments while only 28.8% of the respondents attended at least one mandatory continuous professional development programme within the past one year. The adherence of the participants to other evaluated professional and ethical issues was found to be 51.6%.Conclusion: The adherence of Radiographers to professional ethical handling of patients was rated excellent. However, implementation of quality assurance programmes on equipments and adherence to continuous professional development were grossly low. It is recommended that efforts towards increased emphasis on the importance of practitioner adherence to professional/ethical issues during training in continuous development programmes, conferences, seminars and short courses or direct enrolment in further postgraduate degrees, be intensified

Comparative evaluation of growth performance, serum biochemical profile and immunological response of the Nigerian indigenous and large white x landrace crossbred pigs

This study was conducted to compare growth performance, immunological response, and biochemical profile between local or Nigerian indigenous pigs (NIP) and exotic Large White x Landrace crossbred pigs (LWL). Twenty weanling pigs, aged six weeks were divided into groups A (NIP) and B (LWL); each group was randomly assigned into two replicates of five pigs. Feed and animal management were similar and study lasted ten weeks. Their feed and water intake, average daily weight gain (ADG), and gain: feed or feed efficiency were determined. All the pigs were vaccinated with1 ml of 10 % sheep RBC per pig at week 4 and boosted at week 7. Their antibody titres and serum biochemical profiles were determined using standard procedures. Daily feed and water intake and weight gain were significantly (p < 0.05) higher in LWL than NIP. There was no significant (p > 0.05) difference in their gain: feed but figures were higher in NIP. Although LWL had higher antibody titres at weeks 1 of initial and revaccination, NIP recorded higher titres at weeks 2, 3 and 4 of initial and 2 of revaccination, respectively. Albumin levels in both groups showed a significant (p = 0.003, t = 8) difference in their mean on week 1 following initial vaccination, their values being 4.29 ± 0.05 and 4.67 ± 0.08 g/dL for groups A and B, respectively.The NIP showed significantly (p < 0.05) higher total protein and globulin throughout the period of assay. Although the LWL grew faster and had better immediate immunological performance, the NIP recorded slightly higher feed efficiency and more sustained antibody titres post vaccination with Sheep RBC.Keywords: Swine, growth performance, serum biochemistry, sheep RBC, antibody titre

Assessment of Nutritional Status of Primary School Pupils Using Anthropometrics in Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State

The study assessed nutritional status of primary school pupils using anthropometrics in Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State. The study adopted descriptive cross-sectional survey design. The sample size for the study was 860 pupils from the selected public and private primary schools. Three research questions guided the study. A self-designed proforma, and standardized anthropometric devices of calibrated standardized digital weighing scale (OMRON BF400) and wooden statiometer were used as instruments for data collection. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics of frequency and percentage. The findings of the study included that the participants (pupils) had moderate nutritional status, however, with substantial cases of underweight, stunting and overweight. The study also revealed that the female pupils had better nutritional status than their male counterparts, and the pupils in private primary schools had better nutritional status than pupils in public primary schools. The study recommended among others that parents and guardians and teachers should be properly educated in nutrition education either in formal and non-formal settings

Disinfection of Ultrasound Transducers Using Non-Sterile Tissue Paper in Some Low-Cost Private Ultrasound Centres in Nigeria – Implications for Nosocomial Infection Management

Background/Aims: The incidence of disease outbreaks in clinical settings arising from ultrasound examinations is well documented, and is a source of worry. The ultrasound transducers and the coupling gel are potential sources of these infections since they come in direct contact with the patient’s skin. In this study, we examine the efficacy of the widespread practice of the use of plain non-sterile tissue paper in some low cost private ultrasound centres in our locality as a method of disinfecting ultrasound transducers after each use. Its potential impact on nosocomial infection management in clinical practice is also examined. Methods: Swab samples from convex ultrasound transducers before and after transabdominal scanning of three consecutive patients were obtained from 10 different ultrasound centres in urban and rural areas of Enugu state. Ultrasound coupling gel samples were equally obtained, and all samples cultured for bacteria growth which was quantified in colony forming units per ml (cfu/ml) and reported in 1000/ml. Paired sampled t-test was used to check for significance in reduction in bacterial load before and after the transducer was cleaned.Results: Nine different bacterial strains were isolated. Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella spp had the highest percentage of occurrence in all centres. Significant bacteria growth was recorded in the morning before the examination, and plain tissue paper significantly reduced the bacteria load in the ultrasound transducer.Conclusion: Even though disinfecting ultrasound transducers with non-sterile plain tissue paper alone is statistically effective and has the potential to minimize nosocomial infection, it is however not clinically effective and hence not advised

Performance of Fuel Electronic Injection Engine Systems

Electronic Fuel Injection systems are very important components in today’s automotive industry. Its use on modern engines allows manufactures to develop new engine designs while increasing engine efficiency and lowering fuel consumption and exhaust gas emissions. EFI systems also increased engine reliability by providing a smooth start and run under most weather conditions. This paper presents the state-of-the-art of direct fuel injection in spark-ignition (SI) engines, the current technology to make possible its accomplishment, the characteristics of the engines using this system and a comparative experimental study between this system

HYPOGLYCAEMIC AND HAEMATINIC PROPERTIES OF ETHANOL LEAF EXTRACT OF ARTOCARPUS HETEROPHYLLUS IN ALLOXAN INDUCED DIABETIC RATS.

Background: Anaemia is known to be associated with diabetes; moreover, with the increasing cases of diabetes there is need for the use of more affordable alternative herbal medicines for the treatment of diabetes and anaemia. The aim of this work was to evaluate the hypoglycaemic and haematinic properties of Artocarpus heteropyllus on diabetic rats. Materials and Methods: Ethanol leaf extract of Artocarpus heteropyllus was screened for phytochemicals and its acute toxicity was tested on mice. Induction of diabetes was done at a dose of 150 mg/kg body weight (b.w) (with exception of the control group). The extract was administered to rats for a period of 7 days at 100, 300 and 500 mg/kg b.w, respectively, following induction. Blood samples of rats were tested for fasting blood sugar (FBS), packed cell volume (PCV), white blood cell (WBC), red blood cell (RBC), haemoglobin, neutrophil lymphocyte and eosinophil counts. Results: The ethanol leaf extract of A. heterophyllus showed no mortality up to a dose of 5000 mg/kg b.w. Administration of the extract to diabetic rats resulted in a decrease in the FBS of diabetic rat, and significant increases (p< 0.05) in RBC, PCV, WBC and haemoglobin levels. Conclusion: The ethanol leaf extract of A. heterophyllus increased the haematological indices of diabetic rats. Our findings support the use of this plant as an herbal alternative in the treatment of diabetes and anaemia associated diabetes

How length of light exposure shapes the development of riverine algal biomass in temperate rivers?

The impact of cumulative daily solar radiation (CDSR) on the biomass of river phytoplankton (Chl-a) in the growing season was studied using a large dataset of rivers in the Carpathian Basin. The amount of solar radiation was cumulated over the range of 1–60 days. The CDSR–Chl-a relationship could be described by linear regression and appeared to be significant for almost all watercourses with the exception of rivers with short water residence time. To determine the most relevant time period of CDSR impacting phytoplankton biomass, the slopes of regressions were plotted against the accumulating number of days of light exposure (1–60). Two characteristic shapes were obtained: unimodal for rhithral rivers with hard substrate and steady increase for lowland potamal rivers with fine substrate. In both cases, there is an increasing tendency in the slope values with water residence time (WRT). It was demonstrated that CDSR has a pronounced impact on river phytoplankton biomass even in cases when WRT was shorter than the cumulated solar radiation period. These results indicate that development of phytoplankton within the river channel is a complex process in which meroplankton dynamics may have significant impacts. Our results have two implications: First, CDSR cannot be neglected in predictive modelling of riverine phytoplankton biomass. Second, climate models forecast increased drought with subsequently increased CDSR in several regions globally, which may trigger a rise in phytoplankton biomass in light-limited rivers with high nutrient concentrations

Dissimilar impact of type 2 diabetes on cardiovascular outcomes according to age categories: a nationwide population study from Hungary

BACKGROUND: The excess risks of mortality and cardiovascular morbidity among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is well known. In this nationwide study, we assessed risks of mortality and cardiovascular events comparing patients with T2DM and matched controls. METHODS: We identified patients with T2DM in a retrospective cohort study using the database of the National Health Insurance Fund between 1 January 2010 and 31 December, 2013. Controls were randomly included and matched according to age, gender, and zip code of residence. Patients were divided into subgroups according to age decades for outcome analyses. RESULTS: During the mean follow-up period of 2.3 years, 152,678 patients with T2DM and 305,356 matched controls were included. Patients with T2DM showed significantly higher risk for all-cause mortality (HR 1.26, 95% CI 1.22-1.29, p < 0.0001), myocardial infarction (HR 1.81, 95% CI 1.69-1.94, p < 0.0001) and stroke (HR 1.40, 95% CI 1.35-1.46, p < 0.0001) compared to matched controls. The higher risk associated with T2DM for mortality, myocardial infarction and stroke differed significantly between age groups (pinteraction < 0.05 for all outcomes) with significantly higher risk observed in younger patients. CONCLUSIONS: The risk of cardiovascular outcomes and all-cause mortality is significantly higher in patients with T2DM. Notably, the relative hazard increases with decreasing age suggesting that younger patients with T2DM should receive more attention for cardiovascular prevention

Hypoglycaemic and Haematinic properties of ethanol leaf extract of Artocarpus heterophyllus in alloxan induced diabetic rats.

Background: Anaemia is known to be associated with diabetes; moreover, with the increasing cases of diabetes there is need for the use of more affordable alternative herbal medicines for the treatment of diabetes and anaemia. The aim of this work was to evaluate the hypoglycaemic and haematinic properties of Artocarpus heteropyllus on diabetic rats.Materials and Methods: Ethanol leaf extract of Artocarpus heteropyllus was screened for phytochemicals and its acute toxicity was tested on mice. Induction of diabetes was done at a dose of 150 mg/kg body weight (b.w) (with exception of the control group). The extract was administered to rats for a period of 7 days at 100, 300 and 500 mg/kg b.w, respectively, following induction. Blood samples of rats were tested for fasting blood sugar (FBS), packed cell volume (PCV), white blood cell (WBC), red blood cell (RBC), haemoglobin, neutrophil lymphocyte and eosinophil counts.Results: The ethanol leaf extract of A. heterophyllus showed no mortality up to a dose of 5000 mg/kg b.w. Administration of the extract to diabetic rats resulted in a decrease in the FBS of diabetic rat, and significant increases (p&lt; 0.05) in RBC, PCV, WBC and haemoglobin levels.Conclusion: The ethanol leaf extract of A. heterophyllus increased the haematological indices of diabetic rats. Our findings support the use of this plant as an herbal alternative in the treatment of diabetes and anaemia associated diabetes.Key words: Diabetes, Hypoglycaemia, Haematology, Alloxan, Oxidative stress