Potentials of Indigenous Bacillus thuringiensis Isolates from the soil in controlling Fusarium wilt of Cucumber cause by Fusarium oxysporum f.sp cucumerinum

Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) production is generally low in Nigeria due to continuous soil nutrient limitation and diseases. However, the persistence in the use of agrochemicals for cucumber production in Nigeria is associated with high cost and deleterious effects on man, animal and the environment. This study was conducted to investigate the potentials of indigenous Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), a spore-forming bacterium known for its insecticidal properties in controlling Fusarium wilt of cucumber. Bacillus thuringiensis strains were isolated from soil samples collected from different farm sites in Abeokuta, Nigeria, and identified phenotypically and molecularly. The in-vitro antagonistic activity of B. thuringiensis strains on F. oxysporum f.sp. cucumerinum was evaluated by dual culture method, followed by pot experiment in the screen house. 16S rRNA gene sequencing was performed on the antagonistic B. thuringiensis to confirm Bt species. The results of the in-vitro antagonistic activity revealed that most indigenous B. thuringiensis strains showed significant growth inhibition of Fusarium oxysporium f. sp. cucumerinum. Similarly, application of B. thuringiensis A and C isolates significantly suppressed the incidence of Fusarium wilt of cucumber in the screen house when compared to the control. The 16S rRNA gene sequencing technique identified the isolates A and C as Bacillus thuringiensis strain LTS-209 and Bacillus thuringiensis strain VITSJ-01, respectively. Hence, indigenous B. thuringiensis A and C isolates should be incorporated into cucumber cultivation for controlling Fusarium wilt disease of cucumber. Keywords: Cucumber, Bacillus thuringiensis, Fusarium wilt, 16S rRNA gen

Mycoflora and Aflatoxin Levels in Stale Retailed Pepper Sold in Abeokuta Nigeria

Fungi constitute a major problem in the production, storage and processing of agricultural products, recent concern about the consumption of stale retail pepper in Abeokuta necessitated the need to determine the fungal population and also to quantify Aflatoxin produced by the fungi. Fungi species were isolated from 20 pepper samples (Capsicum annum) bought from different markets in Abeokuta using standard microbiological procedures and High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) was used to quantify the aflatoxin present. Isolated fungi were Aspergillus flavus (55%), Mucor sp (10%), Sacharomyces cerevisiae (20%), Aspergillus fumigatus , Rhizopus sp and Penicillium sp (5%) respectively. Results shows that fourteen of the pepper samples had no detectable aflatoxin and the aflatoxin content in the remaining six samples was 23ng/kg, 18 ng/kg, 15 ng/kg, 9 ng/kg, 6 ng/kg and 2 ng/kg,. five of these samples had aflatoxin content above the European Union maximum tolerance level of 5ng/kg. The presence of toxin producing Aspergillus flavus capable of causing food poisoning raises concern over public health risks that may be associated with the consumption of stale pepper. Keywords: Aflatoxin, Fungal contamination, Capsicum annum, stale foods, High Performance Liquid chromatography, public healt

Patient and public involvement in rheumatic and musculoskeletal research: an idea whose time has firmly come

Patient and public involvement is an idea whose time has firmly come. It is the views of these Guest Editors that it is the right thing to do morally and improves research quality and applicability

Rates of hip and knee joint replacement amongst different ethnic groups in England:An analysis of National Joint Registry data

Objective: Despite a health care system that is free at the point of delivery, ethnic minorities may not always get care equitable to that of White patients in England. We examined whether ethnic differences exist in joint replacement rates and surgical practice in England. Design: 373,613 hip and 428,936 knee National Joint Registry (NJR) primary replacement patients had coded ethnicity in Hospital Episode Statistics (HES). Age and gender adjusted observed/expected ratios of hip and knee replacements amongst ethnic groups were compared using indirect standardisation. Associations between ethnic group and type of procedure were explored and effects of demographic, clinical and hospital-related factors examined using multivariable logistic regression. Results: Adjusted standardised observed/expected ratios were substantially lower in Blacks and Asians than Whites for hip replacement (Blacks 0.33 [95% CI, 0.31–0.35], Asians 0.20 [CI, 0.19–0.21]) and knee replacement (Blacks 0.64 [CI, 0.61–0.67], Asians 0.86 % [CI, 0.84–0.88]). Blacks were more likely to receive uncemented hip replacements (Blacks 52%, Whites 37%, Asians 44%; P < 0.001). Black men and women aged <70 years were less likely to receive unicondylar or patellofemoral knee replacements than Whites (men 10% vs 15%, P = 0.001; women 6% vs 14%, P < 0.001). After adjustment for demographic, clinical and hospital-related factors, Blacks were more likely to receive uncemented hip replacement (OR 1.43 [CI, 1.11–1.84]). Conclusions: In England, hip and knee replacement rates and prosthesis type given differ amongst ethnic groups. Whether these reflect differences in clinical need or differential access to treatment requires urgent investigation

African League Against Rheumatism (AFLAR) preliminary recommendations on the management of rheumatic diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic

Objectives To develop recommendations for the management of rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method A task force comprising of 25 rheumatologists from the 5 regions of the continent was formed and operated through a hub-and-spoke model with a central working committee (CWC) and 4 subgroups. The subgroups championed separate scopes of the clinical questions and formulated preliminary statements of recommendations which were processed centrally in the CWC. The CWC and each subgroup met by several virtual meetings, and two rounds of voting were conducted on the drafted statements of recommendations. Votes were online-delivered and recommendations were pruned down according to predefined criteria. Each statement was rated between 1 and 9 with 1–3, 4–6 and 7–9 representing disagreement, uncertainty and agreement, respectively. The levels of agreement on the statements were stratified as low, moderate or high according to the spread of votes. A statement was retired if it had a mean vote below 7 or a ‘low’ level of agreement. Results A total of 126 initial statements of recommendations were drafted, and these were reduced to 22 after the two rounds of voting. Conclusions The preliminary statements of recommendations will serve to guide the clinical practice of rheumatology across Africa amidst the changing practices and uncertainties in the current era of COVID-19. It is recognized that further updates to the recommendations will be needed as more evidence emerges

International league of associations for rheumatology recommendations for the management of psoriatic arthritis in resource-poor settings

Background Psoriatic arthritis (PsA) is a challenging heterogeneous disease. The European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) and the Group for Research and Assessment of Psoriasis and PsA (GRAPPA) last published their respective recommendations for the management of PsA in 2015. However, these guidelines are primarily based on studies conducted in resource replete countries and may not be applicable in countries in the Americas (except Canada and USA) and Africa. We sought to adapt the existing recommendations for these regions under the auspices of the International League of Associations for Rheumatology (ILAR). Process The ADAPTE Collaboration (2009) process for guideline adaptation was followed to adapt the EULAR and GRAPPA PsA treatment recommendations for the Americas and Africa. The process was conducted in three recommended phases: set-up phase; adaptation phase (defining health questions, assessing source recommendations, drafting report), and finalization phase (external review, aftercare planning, and final production). Result ILAR recommendations have been derived principally by adapting the GRAPPA recommendations, additionally, EULAR recommendations where appropriate and supplemented by expert opinion and literature from these regions. A paucity of data relevant to resource-poor settings was found in PsA management literature. Conclusion The ILAR Treatment Recommendations for PsA intends to serve as reference for the management of PsA in the Americas and Africa. This paper illustrates the experience of an international working group in adapting existing recommendations to a resource-poor setting. It highlights the need to conduct research on the management of PsA in these regions as data are currently lacking

Trends and determinants of comprehensive knowledge of HIV among adolescents and young adults in Nigeria: 2003–2013

This study examined comprehensive knowledge of HIV (CKH) and its determinants among young people aged 15–24 years in Nigeria between 2003 and 2013. Secondary analysis was conducted on three rounds of NDHS 2003, 2008 and 2013 data. CKH increased significantly between 2003 and 2013, but the level reached in 2013 fell short of the global expectation for young people. Its significant determinants included gender, age, educational attainment, place and region of residence, household wealth status and uptake of HIV test. There is need to sustain all on-going effective youth-focused interventions and programmes to meet the comprehensive knowledge needs for all young people in Nigeria

Sexual behaviour, HIV-related knowledge and condom use by intra-city commercial bus drivers and motor park attendants in Lagos, Nigeria

A study was undertaken among 395 intra-city commercial bus drivers, conductors and motor park attendants in a sub-urban community in Lagos, Nigeria. It was aimed at ascertaining the level of knowledge of the participants on sexually transmitted diseases including AIDS, their sexual practices and perceived vulnerability to these diseases and, in particular, their attitude to and use of condoms. A semi-structured interview schedule was used for data collection. The men were found to have a strongly woven network of sexual relationships. Their sexual network included, apart from their wives and regular partners, commercial sex workers, young female hawkers, schoolgirls, and market women within and outside the motor parks. More than two thirds (74.3%) of the men had multiple sex partners and many of them had had sexually transmitted diseases at one time or another. Condom ever-use rate was 65.6% but consistent and regular use rate with casual partners was 11.6%. Almost all the respondents (96.4%) knew themselves to be at high risk of contracting STDs, while 87.6% felt that it was impossible for them to "catch" AIDS. Poor knowledge of risk factors for STDs was exhibited, as many of them attributed their previous STDs to excessive exposure to the sun, having sex in the sun, and their partners remaining in the bath for too long. Intra-city commercial bus operators and men at motor parks are a high risk group for acquiring HIV infection. Their sexual networking with a variety of women within and outside the parks also seems to suggest that they play a major role in transmitting HIV infection in urban communities in Nigeria. There is a need for intervention programmes with a focus on men at motor parks and similar high risk groups. (Afr J Reprod Health 2005; 9[1]: 78-87

Attitudinal and behavioral factors associated with extramarital sex among Nigerian men: Findings from a national survey

Using couple data from a national survey, this article examines couple\u27s characteristics associated with extramarital sex among Nigerian men. We found 15.4% of married men had extramarital sex in the past 12 months. Extramarital sex was significantly associated with men\u27s attitude toward extramarital sex (OR = 1.7 [1.4-3.0]), early sexual debut (OR = 1.9 [1.6-2.3]), alcohol use (OR = 1.7 [1.4-2.1]), and intimate partner violence against wife (IPV) (OR = 1.4 [1.2-1.7]). Increased wife\u27s education was associated with decreased husband\u27s extramarital sex. Men living in rural areas and in the Central and Southern regions were also more likely to have extramarital sex. The findings suggest useful implications for HIV prevention programs in Nigeria. Interventions should focus on influencing social norms around protective behaviors for men to avoid risks associated with extramarital sex and IPV, helping men to change attitudes toward extramarital sex and IPV, and promoting delay in age at first sex among young men