Haematological Indices and Enzymatic Biomaker of Black Jaw Tilapia (Sarotherodon Melanotheron) from Lagos Lagoon

The increases in industrial activities and rapid urban development which occur along the shores of the lagoon have resulted in serious pollution problems. The release of wastes containing hazardous substances and dumping of waste indiscriminately into water bodies could lead to environmental disturbance that might be considered a potential source of stress to the aquatic organism. A toxicological study was carried out to ascertain the effects of aquatic pollutants in the blood of Sarotherodon melanotheron at the Lagos lagoon for a period of three months. Four enzymatic biomarkers were analysed which include protein, superoxide dismutase, Malondialdehyde and Reduced Glutathione. Water sample were collected from Lagos Lagoon and analyzed.The differential counts of Haematological indices such as Haemoglobin (Hb), Packed cell volume (PCV), Red blood cell (RBC), White blood cell (WBC), Mean corpuscular volume (MCV), Mean corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH), Mean corpuscular haemoglobin content (MCHC), were investigated. The lipid peroxidation and antioxidant biomarkers in the blood of S. melanotheron showed a significant difference (P < 0.05). The mean value recorded for Haemoglobin was 39.78±14.43g/L, PCV was 0.16±0.16L/L, RBC was 2.13±1.47T/L, WBC 6.22±2.66G/L while the Mean corpuscular volume was 73.39fl, MCH was 24.57±11.07pg, MCHC was 344.19±24.04L/L. Also the mean value Lymphocyte was 70.78±6.53% and Monocyte was 0.39±0.69% while 0% was recorded for Eosinophil and Basophil. Air temperature, water temperature, Salinity, pH, conductivity, Turbidity and dissolved oxygen had a mean value of 25.75±1.44°c, 25.17±0.75°c, 0.15±0.1‰, 6.13±0.82, 3.60±1.49mS/cm, 31.0±8.37FTU, 1.60±0.26mg/l respectively. Also the mean value of alkalinity, nitrate, phosphate, sulphate, chemical oxygen demand and biological oxygen demand are 68.07±22.92mg/l, 6.77±3.90mg/l, 0.53±0.55mg/l,0.84±0.37mg/l, 307.67±27.30mg/l and117.19±14.61mg/l respectively. Environmental factors such as low dissolved oxygen, high Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) values of this study may be implicated as the possible cause of alteration in the haematological characteristics of S. melanotheron in this study. This study indicates that there was an alteration in haematological profile, antioxidant enzyme and lipid peroxidase activities in S. melanotheron blood which may cause biochemical dysfunction in this specie. All these result provide a useful tool in monitoring the condition and state of health of fish by knowing the normal value with respect to their responses to stress which affects body metabolism.Keywords: Biomarker, Sarotherodon melanotheron, Haematology, Lagos Lagoo

Surgical Management of Ipsilateral Fracture of the Femur and Tibia in Adults (the Floating Knee): Postoperative Clinical, Radiological, and Functional Outcomes

Background: This study evaluated the outcomes of surgical management of ipsilateral femoral and tibial fractures in adults. Methods: Fifteen patients (13 men, 2 women; mean age, 34.8 years; range, 18 to 65 years) were enrolled in this study. The fracture

Sequence analysis of the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) BRLF1 gene in nasopharyngeal and gastric carcinomas

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has a biphasic infection cycle consisting of a latent and a lytic replicative phase. The product of immediate-early gene BRLF1, Rta, is able to disrupt the latency phase in epithelial cells and certain B-cell lines. The protein Rta is a frequent target of the EBV-induced cytotoxic T cell response. In spite of our good understanding of this protein, little is known for the gene polymorphism of BRLF1.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>BRLF1 gene was successfully amplified in 34 EBV-associated gastric carcinomas (EBVaGCs), 57 nasopharyngeal carcinomas (NPCs) and 28 throat washings (TWs) samples from healthy donors followed by PCR-direct sequencing. Fourteen loci were found to be affected by amino acid changes, 17 loci by silent nucleotide changes. According to the phylogenetic tree, 5 distinct subtypes of BRLF1 were identified, and 2 subtypes BR1-A and BR1-C were detected in 42.9% (51/119), 42.0% (50/119) of samples, respectively. The distribution of these 2 subtypes among 3 types of specimens was significantly different. The subtype BR1-A preferentially existed in healthy donors, while BR1-C was seen more in biopsies of NPC. A silent mutation A/G was detected in all the isolates. Among 3 functional domains, the dimerization domain of Rta showed a stably conserved sequence, while DNA binding and transactivation domains were detected to have multiple mutations. Three of 16 CTL epitopes, NAA, QKE and ERP, were affected by amino acid changes. Epitope ERP was relatively conserved; epitopes NAA and QKE harbored more mutations.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This first detailed investigation of sequence variations in BRLF1 gene has identified 5 distinct subtypes. Two subtypes BR1-A and BR1-C are the dominant genotypes of BRLF1. The subtype BR1-C is more frequent in NPCs, while BR1-A preferentially presents in healthy donors. BR1-C may be associated with the tumorigenesis of NPC.</p

Growing pains: how risk perception and risk communication research can help to manage the challenges of global population growth

In 2011 the global human population reached seven billion and medium variant projections indicate that it will exceed nine billion before 2045. Theoretical and empirical perspectives suggest that this growth could lead to an increase in the likelihood of adverse events (e.g., food shortages, climate change, etc.) and/or the severity of adverse events (e.g., famines, natural disasters, etc.). Several scholars have posited that the size to which the global population grows and the extent to which this growth increases the likelihood of adverse outcomes will largely be shaped by individuals� decisions (in households, organizations, Governments, etc.). In light of the strong relationship between perceived risk and decision behaviors, it is surprising that there remains a dearth of empirical research that specifically examines the perceived risks of population growth and how these perceptions might influence related decisions. In an attempt to motivate this important strand of research, this paper examines the major risks that may be exacerbated by global population growth and draws upon empirical work concerning the perception and communication of risk to identify potential directions for future research. The paper also considers how individuals might perceive both the risks and benefits of population growth and be helped to better understand and address the related issues. The answers to these questions could help humanity better manage the emerging consequences of its continuing success in increasing infant survival and adult longevit

Guiding Brain Tumor Resection Using Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Nanoparticles and a Hand-Held Raman Scanner

The current difficulty in visualizing the true extent of malignant brain tumors during surgical resection represents one of the major reasons for the poor prognosis of brain tumor patients. Here, we evaluated the ability of a hand-held Raman scanner, guided by surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) nanoparticles, to identify the microscopic tumor extent in a genetically engineered RCAS/tv-a glioblastoma mouse model. In a simulated intraoperative scenario, we tested both a static Raman imaging device and a mobile, hand-held Raman scanner. We show that SERS image-guided resection is more accurate than resection using white light visualization alone. Both methods complemented each other, and correlation with histology showed that SERS nanoparticles accurately outlined the extent of the tumors. Importantly, the hand-held Raman probe not only allowed near real-time scanning, but also detected additional microscopic foci of cancer in the resection bed that were not seen on static SERS images and would otherwise have been missed. This technology has a strong potential for clinical translation because it uses inert gold-silica SERS nanoparticles and a hand-held Raman scanner that can guide brain tumor resection in the operating room

Barriers to Non-Viral Vector-Mediated Gene Delivery in the Nervous System

Efficient methods for cell line transfection are well described, but, for primary neurons, a high-yield method different from those relying on viral vectors is lacking. Viral transfection has several drawbacks, such as the complexity of vector preparation, safety concerns, and the generation of immune and inflammatory responses when used in vivo. However, one of the main problems for the use of non-viral gene vectors for neuronal transfection is their low efficiency when compared with viral vectors. Transgene expression, or siRNA delivery mediated by non-viral vectors, is the result of multiple processes related to cellular membrane crossing, intracellular traffic, and/or nuclear delivery of the genetic material cargo. This review will deal with the barriers that different nanoparticles (cationic lipids, polyethyleneimine, dendrimers and carbon nanotubes) must overcome to efficiently deliver their cargo to central nervous system cells, including internalization into the neurons, interaction with intracellular organelles such as lysosomes, and transport across the nuclear membrane of the neuron in the case of DNA transfection. Furthermore, when used in vivo, the nanoparticles should efficiently cross the blood-brain barrier to reach the target cells in the brain