Tuberculous mastitis simulating carcinoma of the breast in a young Nigerian woman: a case report

Tuberculous mastitis is an uncommon disease even in countries where tuberculosis is highly endemic. It typically presents a diagnostic challenge masquerading as carcinoma or other primary disease of the breast. We report the case of a young multiparous Nigerian woman who presented with a tender left breast lump and enlargement of the left axillary lymph nodes for which a provisional diagnosis of carcinoma of the breast was made after clinical and radiological evaluation. The mass was pathologically diagnosed as tuberculous mastitis and anti-tuberculous therapy was instituted although she later absconded. This case shows that TM may present a diagnostic challenge on clinical, radiologic and microbiological investigation. Therefore, a high index of suspicion as well as FNAC and/or histological evaluation of tissue samples remain very important its diagnosis

Assessment of quality of life among patients attending HIV clinics in Ilorin metropolis

Objectives: The Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), is being hit hard by the epidemic of AcquiredImmunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and carries the globe's heaviest burden of HIV/AIDS. HIV/AIDS has been transformed into a chronic condition, albeit one with no cure, making it important to assess determinants of quality of life (QoL) and, if required, improve the QoL of People Living with HIV (PLHIV). The study assessed the determinants of quality of life of patients attending HIV clinics in Ilorin metropolis.Methods: The study was a descriptive cross sectional study. A sample size of 384 HIV positive patients who were systematically recruited at the 5 public service delivery sites in Ilorin. Data was analyzed using SPSS software version 20.0. Level of significance was pre-determined at p-value < 0.05 at a confidence level of 95%.Results: Majority 213 (55.5%) of the respondents had good QoL, while 171 (44.5%) had low QoL with overall Mean score of 68±14. This study showed that being employed, high income, and low cost of care were associated with good health related (HRQoL). Regression analysis revealed that age > 30yrs (odds = 1.5), longer duration on Highly Active Anti-retroviral Therapy (HAART) >3yrs (Odds = 1.5), CD4 count >500cells/mm3 (Odds = 1.2), high monthly income (Odds=1.6) and low cost of care (Odds= 1.27) were found to determine good QoL.Conclusion: Government should therefore expand access to HIV care by considering more Primary Health Care facilities as Anti-Retroviral Therapy ( ART) treatment centers.Key words: Quality of life, Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Patients, Anti-Retroviral Therap

Nigerian Psychoactive Alcoholic Herbal Mixture Impacts Behavioural Performance and Caused Brain Biochemical and Histopathological Alterations in Mice

Psychoactive alcoholic herbal mixture is popularly consumed because of the belief on its stimulant and curative effects. This study investigated the neurobehavioral, biochemical and histopathological consequences following its single and repeated co-administration with ethanol to mice. Mice were assessed for sensorimotor, anxiety and memory functions following acute and repeated administration of alcohol herbal mixture (AHM). Alterations in brain acetylcholineterase, nitrite, reduced glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde levels were assessed in striatum, prefrontal cortex (PFC) and hippocampus. Neuronal cells counts were determined in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampal tissues. In the acute study, AHM significantly impaired locomotor activity and motor coordination in mice. Repeated administration of AHM and AHM combined with ethanol caused significant impairment of locomotor and motor coordination, increased anxiety-like behavior and impaired memory in mice. Acetylcholinesterase activity was significantly increased in the PFC while nitrite level was elevated in the striatum and PFC. There was significant elevation of malondialdehyde and depletion of GSH in all brain regions as well as reduced neuronal cell counts in the PFC and hippocampus. This study showed evidences of behavioral perturbation and brain biochemical changes in mice, hence repeated consumption of alcoholic herbal mixture might produce substance-attributable harm and quicken neurodegenerative diseases in humans

Impact of black plum (Vitex doniana) leaf meal on blood biochemistry, hormone and cholesterol level of West African dwarf goat-bucks

Fifteen (15) West African Dwarf (WAD) goat-bucks with average initial weights of 10±0.53kg were used in an experiment to investigate the effect of varying levels of Vitex doniana leaf meal on the blood profiles, hormone and cholesterol level of WAD goat-bucks. The animals were randomly assigned to five dietary treatments consisting of graded levels of Vitex doniana in a Completely Randomized Design experiment which lasted twenty-eight (28) days. At the end of the feeding trial, blood samples were collected from the jugular veins of the animal for the determination of haematological and serum biochemical characteristics using standard laboratory methods. The Vitex doniana leaf had a crude protein of 8.53, crude fibre of 7.15, crude fat of 6.44 and ash of 8.26 percent and were moderately high in flavonoids 20.82, phenols 96.14, saponin 6.48mg/100g with slight presence of alkaloids, tannins, terpenoids, steroids and anthraquinones. The effects of graded levels of Vitex doniana leaf meal on haematology of WAD goat-bucks reveals that red blood cell (RBC) significantly (p<0.05) increase with concurrent increase in Vitex doniana leaf meal whereas the haemoglobin (Hb) and packed cell volume (PCV) reduced with the addition of the leaf meal. Other parameters were not significantly (p>0.05) different from the control, although it varies with increase in the leaf meal addition. The serum biochemistry of West African dwarf bucks showed that total protein (TP), albumin (ALB), urea and glucose significantly increased with increase in Vitex doniana leaf meal. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP), Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) was significantly (p<0.05) influenced by the increase in Vitex doniana leaf meal inclusion. The ALT and AST were not significantly (p>0.05) different from the control in treatment D. Phytochemical results shows Vitex doniana has high content of phenol, flavonoid and saponin; it significantly increase total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein with a reduction in high density lipoprotein with 20g/kg feed while triglyceride and high density lipoprotein were high with 10g/kg feed. It significantly reduced luteinizing hormone while causing an increase in follicle stimulating hormone, testosterone and prolactin with 15g/kg. The administration of 15g inclusion level of Vitex doniana leaf meal increases the reproductive performance while administration of 10g inclusion level helped to lower the cholesterol level in WAD bucks with no conspicuous adverse effects and their health status was not compromised. All the haematological and serum biochemical characteristics of the bucks were within the normal/ standard blood ranges for apparently healthy bucks. The study therefore concludes that farmers can supplement feed with up to 20% Vitex doniana leaf meal in formulated diets meant for goats, without fear of compromising haematopoietic processes. Keywords: Blood, Feed, leaf-meal, WAD goat-buck

Performance of maize (Zea mays) cultivars as influenced by grade and application rate of Organo-mineral fertiliser in a transitory rain forest

Field trials were conducted in a transitory humid rain forest, Abeokuta, Nigeria  (Latitudes 7◦ 15ꞌN, 3◦ 25ꞌE, altitude 144 above sea level) in early wet cropping  seasons of 2014 (site A) and 2015 (site B). The trials were aimed at investigating  the effects of application rates of grades of organo-mineral fertiliser on maize (Zea  mays)cultivars. The trials were in split-split plot arrangement fitted into randomised  complete block design and replicated three times. In the main plot was variety {Oba super 2 (hybrid) and Suwan 1[open pollinated variety (OPV)]}, sub-plot consisted of grade of organo-mineral fertiliser (A, B, C), while the sub-sub plot was made of  application rate (0, 2.5 and 5.0 t ha-1). Oba super 2 had significantly (P< 0.05)  more assimilatory surface, with more 100 grain (7.13 g) and ear weight (0.08 kg),  harvest index (37.60 %) than OPV maize cultivar (Suwan 1) in 2015. Maize  cultivars sown with grade B organo-mineral fertiliser had delayed tasselling (57.50  days) and silking (66.33 days) compared to when sown with other organo-mineral  grades. Increasing application rates of organo-mineral fertiliser resulted in  increased assimilatory surface and a higher grain yield and its attributes in both  years.Keywords: Hybrid, Open Pollinated Maize, Transitory Rain Forest, Silking, Tassellin

Spatio-temporal analysis of land surface temperature variations in the rapidly developing Akure and its environs, southwestern Nigeria using Landsat data

The study attempted to assess land surface temperature (LST) variations in Akure, a millennium development city, and its environs, in Nigeria. The importance of LST as a vital component in global climate change cannot be over emphasized because as the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere increases, the LST also increases. Spatio-temporal assessment of LST variation is therefore becoming imperative to identify the contributing factors and the corresponding magnitude of contributions to the variation using remote sensing and GIS techniques. Landsat TM image of 1991, Landsat ETM+ image of 2002 and Landsat OLI/TIRS of 2015 were used and processed using ArcGIS 10.1, IDRISI and Erdas imagine 9.3 to generate indices such as Normalized Difference Vegetation Index NDVI, Land Use Land Cover (LULC) and Land Surface Temperature (LST). The finding showed that the changes, both spatial and temporal within the land uses influenced the temperature variations in the study area. The built-up, rock outcrops, farmland and vegetation land uses recorded mean temperature change of 4.91±0.7, 3.53±0.3, 3.14±0.2 and 1.87±0.3 respectively, with their respective yearly temperature increase estimated at 0.21°C, 0.15°C, 0.14°C and 0.08°C between 1991 and 2015. The study concludes that the observed increasing variations in LST in all the land uses has been precipitated by rapid land use conversion and modification that may have strong tendency to usher in climate related problems such as flood, human discomfort and other associated environmental hazards. An effective land use policy is therefore suggested to complement Federal Government ‘green policy’ urban environment.Keywords:  LST variation, Land Use Land Cover, NDVI, GIS, Remote sensing technique, Nigeri

Sociodemographic Characteristics and Pregnancy outcome of Referred and Booked Parturients in a Nigerian Teaching Hospital

No Abstrac

Neuropharmacological Activities of Ficus platyphylla stem bark in mice

Methanol Extract Ficus platyphylla stem bark in dosages (17, 40 and 75, 150mg/kg) was found to produce a profound decrease in exploratory activity in mice, the extract indicated peripheral and central analgesic effects as shown by significant inhibition of acetic acid - induced writhing, and delayed onset in leptazol induced-convulsion (seizures) in mice respectively. It also decreases the rate of leptazol induced mortality in mice. The totality of these effects showed that the extract possesses depressant action on the central nervous system