Sources of resistance to cassava anthracnose disease

A total of 436 African landraces and 497 improved cassava genotypes were planted in 1996, 1997, 1998 and 1999 growing seasons.. These were evaluated for their reactions to cassava anthracnose disease (CAD) under natural infection conditions at Ibadan (a high infection zone). The severity of the disease was determined by counting the total number of canker/plants and measuring the diameter the cankers. Data were collected at 6, 9 and 12 months after planting. The four-year data were pooled and subjected to statistical analysis. Result showed that of the 436 improved germplasm evaluated, 10 were resistant, 64 moderately resistant, 328 were moderately susceptible, and 95 were highly susceptible. The results also showed that 45 of the landraces were resistant, 87 moderately resistant, 354 were moderately susceptible, whereas 60 were highly susceptible. Of the resistant landraces and the improved, TME 19, TME 53, TME113, TME 244, TME 475, and TME 523; I85/02015 and I8700028 were completely free of cankers. The resistant genotypes have been introgressed into broad-based breeding populations to diversify resistance to CAD in newly improved genotypes.African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 4 (6), pp. 570-572, 200

Non-Surgical Management of Congenital Eversion of the Eyelids

Purpose: To report the effectiveness of non-invasive management of congenital eversion of the eyelids, a rare condition associated with serious socio-psychological consequences. Case Report: Three neonates with congenital eversion of the eyelids and secondary conjunctival chemosis and prolapse were managed with 5% hypertonic normal saline, lubricants, antibiotics, and padding. Complete eye opening was achieved by the 10th day of presentation and the condition resolved. Conclusion: Non-invasive management of congenital eyelid eversion was found to be effective with no need for surgical management. All health care workers should be informed that this condition is amenable to conservative treatment if started early, so that prompt referral for expert management can be offered

Bilateral sporadic aniridia: review of management

Caroline O Adeoti1, Adeyinka A Afolabi2, Adebimpe O Ashaye3, Adenike O Adeoye41Department of Ophthalmology, 2Department of Paediatrics, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, Osun State, Nigeria; 3University College Hospital, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria; 4Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile Ife, Osun, Osun State, NigeriaPurpose: To report a rare case of bilateral sporadic aniridia in an African child and review the management modalities.Presentation: We report a case of bilateral sporadic aniridia with horizontal nystagmus, axial cataract optic disc, and fovea hypoplasia in a 5-year-old female patient. She was managed conservatively. Various modalities of treatment are reviewed.Keywords: aniridia, sporadic, nystagmus, cataract, glaucoma, keratopathy, tattooing, syndrome, fovea hypoplasia and optic disc hypoplasi

Impact of Operational Definitions on the Predictors and Prevalence of Asthma Estimates: Experience from a University Students’ Survey and Implications for Interpretation of Disease Burden

BACKGROUND: Inconsistent operational definitions during asthma surveillance can lead to inaccurate estimation of disease burden and formulation of health policy. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of different definitions on the prevalence estimates and predictors of asthma among university students in Ilorin, Nigeria. The secondary aim was to compare level of agreement of the different definitions.METHODS: This cross-sectional study was carried out from June to August 2015. The European Community Respiratory Health Survey (ECRHS) questionnaire was self administered by 1485 students. Asthma diagnosis was based on five definitions used in previous studies in the country. These were ECRHS, International Study of Asthma, Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC), Probable, Modified ECRHS and Modified Probable asthma definitions.RESULTS: The prevalence rates varied from 10.4 to 24.1% depending on the definition. Prevalence obtained by using ECRHS definition significantly differed from estimates by other definitions (Z score ≥ 1.96 p<0.0001) except modified probable asthma. Identified predictors of asthma varied from five to six depending on the definition, and their strength also differed by definition. Regardless of the definition, reported nasal allergy, skin allergy, family history of nasal allergy, asthma and parental smoking were the predictors of asthma. The Kappa statistics demonstrated a fair to almost perfect association between the ECRHS and other asthma definitions (Kappa = 0.334-0.841, p < 0.001).CONCLUSION: The prevalence rates and predictors of asthma are affected by operational definitions. Researchers need to adopt a uniform definition for accurate estimation of disease burden, international comparison of result and formulation of prevention policy.

Endocrine Admissions in a Tertiary Hospital In Nigeria: A 5-Year Review of Pattern and Trend

Hospital admission is a reflection of prevailing disease pattern in an environment, impact of services rendered in the outpatient department and preventative healthcare services in the community. The aim of this study was to determine the pattern and trend of endocrine related admissions at Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado-Ekiti. This was a retrospective analysis of health records of patients with endocrine related disorders admitted into the medical wards of the hospital between 2008-2012. The diagnoses, based on WHO ICD-10 were documented. Endocrine related admissions were subdivided into diabetes related, thyroid related and non-diabetes hypoglycaemia. Data of interest were compared with Pearson’s Chi-Square and Student’s t test. There were 3818 admissions out of which 457 (12.0%) were endocrine related. Majority of the endocrine admission were DM related (93.9%), representing 11.8% of the total admissions. There was increase in endocrine-related admissions from 9.1%-18.0% and a 10.6% increase in the DM related admissions from 2008 to 2012, but a decline in absolute number of endocrine admissions notably among females (X2 = 39.88, p<0.001). Poor glucose control (42.8%) was the commonest reason for diabetic admission, followed by hyperglycaemic emergencies (31.1%), diabetic foot disease (15.9%), sepsis (2.6%), stroke (2.3%), nephropathy/renal failure (1.6%), diabetic hand (0.9%), hypoglycaemia (0.9%), heart failure (0.7%). Between 2010-2012, hyperglycaemic crisis emerged as the commonest reason for diabetic admission, but overall, there was significant reduction in the number of hospitalizations for all diabetic complications (X2 = 128.69, df= 36, p=0.000). More resources need to be allocated for the management of diabetes mellitus while efforts to prevent its complications through educational activities and public awareness should be sustained

Decadal Assessment and Distribution of Rainfall Anomaly Index (1991 – 2020) for Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria

This study was designed to provide valuable insight into the temporal patterns of rainfall in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria using rainfall data from 1991 – 2020 (30 years) collected from Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET), airport station, Benin City. The data were assessed based on 10 years interval (decade) identified as decadal A (1991-2000), decadal B (2001-2010) and decadal C (2011-2020). The data was analysed descriptively using charts and graphs. Also, Rainfall Anomaly Index (RAI) was determined for each decadal. Findings from the study reveal that rainfall pattern changes significantly based on statistics for each decadal. In decadal A, rainfall usually began in the month of July to October, June to September in decadal B while May to September in decadal C with rainfall going above the annual precipitation (2679 mm) for the City. The rainfall anomaly over the city revealed that there was a composite nature in which some dry years were mixed with wet years and vice versa and this occurred in all decades. RAI revealed that decadal C recorded the highest number of years (7) of intense rainfall compared to decadal A and B. The trend for the average annual rainfall showed a significant trend based on the decade. The average annual rainfall increased with time (decade) as the trend rose from 1886.9 mm in decade A to 1890.0mm in decade B and 2078.8 mm in decade C. The year of greatest positive value was 2016 (decadal C), with an average RAI of 6.53 classified as extremely humid. Based on these findings, the study concludes that the climate in Benin City has significantly changed

Identifying patients at high risk for obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome in Nigeria: A multicentre observational study

Background: Obstructive sleep apnoea is associated with significant health consequences. A significant proportion of hospitalized patients at risk for obstructive sleep apnoea were never identified and referred for polysomnography for diagnosis. The objective of this study was to determine the factors associated with high risk for obstructive sleep apnoea and use it to identify patients at risk for the condition in tertiary hospitals in Nigeria.Methods: This was a multicentre observational study of adult patients hospitalized in three selected hospitals from 15th January to 17th March 2015. Berlin questionnaire and Epworth sleepiness scale were used to assess for obstructive sleep apnoea risk and excessive daytime sleepiness respectively. Additional questions on traditional risk factors for obstructive sleep apnoea were also obtained.Results: Nine hundred and twenty-six patients were recruited into the study. Respondents’ mean age was 44.3 years ± 15.2years, 486 (52.5%) were females and 556 (60.0%) had one or more medical co-morbidity and none of the patients had a previous diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnoea. Factors that were independently associated with high risk for obstructive sleep apnoea include systemic hypertension(aOR-10.33;95%: CI 6.42-16.61), obesity(aOR-7.87;95% CI: 4.33-14.29); excessive daytime sleepiness (aOR-3.77;95% CI:2.28-6.22), tobacco smoking (aOR-2.99;95% CI: 1.76-5.07), snoring in a first-degree relative (aOR-1.83;95% CI: 1.19-2.81); and the use of sedative (aOR-1.82;95% CI: 1.06-3.15).Conclusions: This study shows that patients with systemic hypertension, obesity, excessive daytime sleepiness, history of smoking, snoring in a firstdegree relative and use of sedatives are at high risk of obstructive sleep apnoea. None of the patients at high risk had a previous diagnosis of sleep apnoea by a physician, highlighting the diagnostic challenges of this condition. The results of this study will assist health care professionals in early identification of individuals at risk of obstructive sleep apnoea and subsequent referral for a sleep study

A novel design of multi-epitope based vaccine against Escherichia coli

Background: Multi-valent based vaccines have advantage over conventional vaccines because of its multi-faceted action targeted at antigen; thereby raising hope of a more sustained actions against allergens. Escherichia coli (E. coli) is a bacterium that is commonly found in the gut of humans and warm-blooded animals. An increasing number of outbreaks are associated with the consumption of fruits and vegetables (including sprouts, spinach, lettuce, coleslaw, and salad) thereby contamination may be due to contact with faeces from domestic or wild animals at some stages during cultivation or handling. Due to the reported increase in resistance to antibiotics used for Escherichia coli control; an effective vaccine is a would-be alternative of proven interest. Hence, a need for a rational, strategic, and efficient vaccine candidate against E.coli is of paramount necessity by the use of the most current bioinformatics tools to achieve this task. Method: In this study, immunoinformatics tools mined from diverse molecular databases were used  for a novel putative epitope based oral vaccine against E.coli. The prospective vaccine proteins were carefully screened and validated to achieve a high thorough-put three-dimensional protein structure. The eventual propsective vaccine candidate proteins was evaluated for its non-allergenicity, antigenicity, solubility, appropriate molecular weight testing and isoelectric point evaluation. Conclusion: The resultant vaccine candidate could serve as a promising anti-E.coli vaccine candidate. Immunoinformatics is a new field over pharmaco-therapeutics; this newest technology should continue to be a rescue from age-long traditional approach in vaccine developments

The influence of mathematics teachers’ mastery of the subject on the performance of senior secondary school students

The performance of senior secondary school pupils in Akinyele LGA, Ibadan, Oyo State was examined in this study to determine the impact of mathematics instructors' subject knowledge. The study's research design was an analytical descriptive survey. Three hundred (300) pupils from six secondary schools in the Akinyele LGA of Oyo State were selected at random to make up the sample. From each school, fifty (50) pupils were chosen. The researchers' instrument for gathering data was the Mathematics Achievement Test (MAT). The thirty (30) multiple-choice questions in the MAT are used to assess the hypotheses. Using the one-way Analysis of Variance, two primary hypotheses were developed and assessed for significance at the 5% level (ANOVA). The study's findings showed a strong correlation between teachers' qualifications and pupils' academic achievement in mathematics. The results also indicated a strong correlation between math students' academic achievement and teachers' experience. Therefore, the study recommended that teachers be exposed to local and worldwide seminars and workshops in order to improve and expand their mathematical expertise