Comparative antibacterial activity of two Helichrysum species used in male circumcision in South Africa.

The leaves of Helichrysum pedunculatum and H. longifolium are used for the treatment of wounds arising from male circumcision by the Xhosas and the Pondos of South Africa, respectively. The antibacterial activity of these herbs was compared by direct bioautography using Staphylococcus aureus. Extracts from the leaves of H. pedunculatum showed more activity against the bacterium than those from H. longifolium. Heating the extracts from the latter, further reduced their activity against S. aureus, The traditonal heating of the leaves of this plant over hot ash before use is, therefore, likely to reduce their activity against infection

Ethnobotanical study of plants used for treating intestinal worms in Ibadan, Nigeria

Poverty and poor sanitation in sub-Saharan Africa are the main reasons for parasitic infection prevalence. Medicinal herbs have been sources of natural and cheaper remedies for the treatment of many parasitic infections, including intestinal parasites. The study aimed to document medicinal herbs used in treating intestinal worm infections in the Ibadan metropolis through an ethnobotanical survey. The three main traditional herb markets, Oje, Oja Oba and Iwo Road, in Ibadan city, were purposively selected for the survey. The respondents, who were mainly herb sellers, were interviewed using structured questionnaires. The information obtained included demographic information, names of plants used in the treatment of worms, plant parts, dosage and method of preparation. The data collected was analysed using descriptive statistics and the Relative Frequency Citation (RFC), Use Value (UV) and Informant Consensus Factor (ICF) of the mentioned plants were calculated. The survey revealed 45 plants that are used in the treatment of intestinal worms in Ibadan. These plants belong to 31 families. The most frequently mentioned plants with their RFCs were Cryptolepis sanguinoleta (Lindl.) Schltr (0.39) and Aristolochia albida Duch (0.39) while most of the plants belong to the Families Apocynaceae and Euphorbiaceae. The roots (25%) and the leaves (18.75%) were the most commonly used plant parts. Most of the plants were indicated to be used singly while some were used in combinations of two or more. The study has revealed the medicinal plants that are used against intestinal parasites. Thus, bioassay studies to confirm the claims should be carried out to establish the activities of these plants

Knowledge and attitude of Nigerian personnel working at Federal Medical Centre in Nigeria on carbon monoxide poisoning from electrical power generators

Background: Private portable electrical power generators are common household items in Nigeria owing to inadequate electrical power provision for the public. These engines often run indoors, emitting poisonous carbon  monoxide gas. Fatalities are commonly reported as a result of carbon monoxide inhalation. This study evaluated awareness of and attitudes towards the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning in health personnel in a Nigerian referral hospital.Method: The study was carried out on personnel working at the Federal Medical Centre, Owo, Nigeria. The  respondents were interviewed using a self-administered, semi-structured questionnaire. The obtained data were collated and analysed with SPSS®, version 16.Results: One hundred and seventy-six health workers participated, and 157 completed and returned the survey questionnaire (89.2% response rate). Of these, 95 respondents (60.5%) were informed about carbon monoxide poisoning and 62 (39.5%) were not. Moreover, 105 respondents (73.4%) had no idea of sources of carbon monoxide poisoning. Twenty-three of the 95 informed respondents (24.2%) had received information on carbon monoxide poisoning through the newspaper. Sixty-two respondents (39.5%) indicated that they preferred to run electrical generators indoors, and 89 (56.7%) could not recognise the physical properties of carbon monoxide. Potential damage by rain (72, 53.3%), and fear of theft (38, 24.8%) and destruction of the generators by children (14, 10.4%) were the supplied reasons for running generators indoors.Conclusion: The health-related dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning as a result of operating electrical generators indoors were poorly appreciated, even by health workers. There is a need for wider public education on the subject in Nigeria, and especially in the mass media and at schools and hospitals.Keywords: awareness, carbon monoxide poisoning, electrical power generato

Re – Training Needs of Mechanical Engineering Technologists for Improved Performance in Scientific Equipment Development Institutes in Nigeria.

Following constant complains by our schools on short falls in the supply of laboratory apparatus and even when available they are sub – standard, this study was conducted to determine the re-training needs of mechanical engineering technologists who are directly involved in the production of these laboratory apparatus  for improved performance in Scientific Equipment Development Institutes (SEDI) in Nigeria. Two research questions and 2 hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. The study was conducted in the two Scientific Development Institutes located at Minna and Enugu. A survey research design approach was adopted. The entire population of 82 mechanical engineers and 140 mechanical engineering technologists served as the respondents. No sampling was done. A 50 item structured questionnaire was used to collect the relevant data for the study. Data collected were analyzed using frequency counts, standard deviation, mean and t – test statistics. Results from analysis of data showed that all the 50 proposed items were accepted as retraining needs of mechanical engineering technologists. Specifically, the study revealed that the technologists were most deficient in areas of the use of automatic, NC, and CNC machines. It was recommended that as a matter of urgency government should put in place various strategies of retraining such as partnership with production industries, workshops, seminars and short term trainings outside the country. Key words: Re-training, performance, technologists, industries, scientific equipmen

Socio-Economic Benefits of Microgravity Research

Microgravity researches are conducted in low gravity environments. These low gravity environments can be achieved in a number of ways including parabolic aircraft flights, sounding rockets, drop towers, clinostat.  Gravity dominates everything on Earth, from the way life has developed to the way materials interact. The reduction of gravity causes significant changes in the chosen sample which could be cells, plants, micro-organisms and small samples from material sciences. The changes that occur as a result of the effect of microgravity have led to discoveries that have been found to be of socio-economic benefits. Socio-economic benefits involve benefits in wealth, health, economic, environment. Sustainable development in an economy includes economic growth, environmental protection and social equality. Space technology applications such as in microgravity stimulate economic growth and improve the quality of life of people, in this way, it is beneficial to mankind.  Overall, products manufactured in microgravity environments have key properties usually surpassing the best terrestrial counterparts. Commercially, these products have attractive features that facilitate marketing. This review considers the various benefits of microgravity research in life-sciences such as in microbiology, pharmacy, and medicine

Perinatal outcome of maternal deaths at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital, Johannesburg, South Africa, January 2014 - June 2019

Background. Maternal death is a tragic event. Of maternal deaths worldwide, 99% occur in low- and middle-income countries. Perinatal outcome is related to maternal wellbeing. Maternal death has a negative impact on fetal and neonatal outcome in the short and long term. Objectives. To determine the perinatal outcomes of pregnancies that ended in a maternal death at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital (CHBAH), Johannesburg, South Africa, over a 5-year period, to describe the causes of maternal death, and to determine the stillbirth rate (SBR) and early neonatal death (ENND) rate in this population. Methods. This was a retrospective cross-sectional study of maternal deaths in women with a viable pregnancy from January 2014 to June 2019 at CHBAH. All maternal deaths with gestation >26 weeks or fetal weight >500 g were included in the study. Information on demographics, booking status, antenatal care, pregnancy outcome, and fetal and neonatal outcome was extracted from maternal and neonatal files. Results. Of a total of 183 maternal deaths during the study period, 147 were included in the study. The institutional maternal mortality ratio was 135 deaths per 100 000 live births. Hypertension was the main direct cause of death (36.5%; n=27/74), followed by pregnancy related sepsis (27.4%; n=21/74) and obstetric haemorrhage (20.6%; n=15/74). Non-pregnancy-related infections, of which 91.4% were HIV and HIV-related complications, comprised 47.9% (n=35/73) of indirect causes of death, followed by medical and surgical disorders. Of a total of 151 babies, including two sets of twins and one set of triplets, 137 were delivered and 14 were undelivered at the time of maternal death. Ninety-one babies (61.9%) were born alive and 51 (34.6%) were stillbirths. Of the 91 liveborn infants, 6 (6.5%) had an ENND. Of the 51 stillbirths, 14 (27.5%) were undelivered and 11 (21.6%) were delivered by perimortem caesarean section. The SBR was 347 per 1 000 maternal deaths and the ENND rate 66 per 1 000 live births. The perinatal mortality rate (PMR) was 388 per 1 000 maternal deaths, which is 12 times higher than the PMR per 1 000 live births for the general population. Conclusion. Women who experience maternal death have babies with very poor perinatal outcomes, with a very high SBR, ENND rate and PMR. The health of the mother has a direct and significant effect on fetal and neonatal outcomes

Mutations Affecting HVO_1357 or HVO_2248 Cause Hypermotility in Haloferax volcanii, Suggesting Roles in Motility Regulation

Motility regulation plays a key role in prokaryotic responses to environmental stimuli. Here, we used a motility screen and selection to isolate hypermotile Haloferax volcanii mutants from a transposon insertion library. Whole genome sequencing revealed that hypermotile mutants were predominantly affected in two genes that encode HVO_1357 and HVO_2248. Alterations of these genes comprised not only transposon insertions but also secondary genome alterations. HVO_1357 contains a domain that was previously identified in the regulation of bacteriorhodopsin transcription, as well as other domains frequently found in two-component regulatory systems. The genes adjacent to hvo_1357 encode a sensor box histidine kinase and a response regulator, key players of a two-component regulatory system. None of the homologues of HVO_2248 have been characterized, nor does it contain any of the assigned InterPro domains. However, in a significant number of Haloferax species, the adjacent gene codes for a chemotaxis receptor/transducer. Our results provide a foundation for characterizing the root causes underlying Hfx. volcanii hypermotility

Retinoblastoma - A Clinico - Pathological Study in Ilorin, Nigeria*

Retinoblastoma is the commonest childhood primary malignant intraocular neoplasm that is often characterized by spontaneous regression. They display photoreceptor differentiation. This study provides the clinical presentations and histological profiles of retinoblastoma in Ilorin, Kwara \u2013 State, in the North Central geo-political zone of Nigeria. A retrospective study of clinically and histologically verified retinoblastoma at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ilorin, Kwara \u2013 State, Nigeria from January 1989 to December 2000 was undertaken. The clinical and histological features were analyzed using the patient's case folder and surgical pathology records. There were 20 patients, 9 males and 11 females (M:F ratio 1: 1.2), age range from 5 1/2 months to 6 years with 23 eyeball tumours histologically confirmed retinoblastoma during the study period. Proptosis with chemosis was the most common clinical presentation (84.6%). Bilaterality was 15% in this study. Enucleation and Exenteration combined with chemotherapy were offered to 15 (75%) and 5 (25%) patients respectively. A poorly differentiated type with extensive areas of tumour necrosis was the commonest histological pattern. Thirteen (65%) of the patients died before completing the course of chemotherapy

Perceptions of Nigerian medical students regarding their preparedness for precision medicine: a cross-sectional survey in Lagos, Nigeria

Background Advances in precision medicine in Nigeria suggest improving genomics education and competency among healthcare practitioners to facilitate clinical translation. Due to the scarcity of research in this area, this study aimed to assess Nigerian medical students’ perceptions about their preparedness to integrate precision medicine into their future clinical practice. Methods This was an institution-based cross-sectional study of medicine and surgery students in their clinical years attending the two fully accredited colleges of medicine in Lagos, Nigeria, between April and October 2022 using an adapted tool administered via Google Forms. The survey assessed their awareness, perceptions about knowledge, ability, and attitudes toward precision medicine, ethical concerns, and perceptions about their education in precision medicine. Multivariate linear regression models were used to assess factors associated with students’ perceptions of their knowledge, ability, and attitudes. Results A total of 300 students completed the questionnaires with a response rate of 40%. Awareness of genomic medicine terminology was high (92.0%). Responses to knowledge and ability questions revealed notable gaps, however, respondents had positive attitude scores overall. Higher medical school year was independently associated with lower knowledge (ptrend = 0.003) and ability (ptrend = 0.005) scores, and knowledge score was independently associated with a higher ability score (β: 0.76 95%CI: 0.67, 0.84; p Conclusion Despite high awareness of precision medicine terminology and overall positive attitudes, our findings highlight gaps in knowledge and ability to integrate genomics into the care of patients and a need to improve precision medicine education among Nigerian medical students