One-stage urethroplasty for strictures at a rural hospital

Introduction: St Mary’s Mission Hospital manages many inflammatory and traumatic urethral strictures. Previously, we treated strictures with dilatation, but high recurrence and poor patient satisfaction necessitated adoption of reconstructive procedures since 2017.Objective: To review the scope, outcome and complications of urethroplasties using data collected prospectively.Methods: All cases of one-stage urethroplasty were included. Patient biodata and pre-operative adverse factors were collected and analyzed.Results: 23 male patients ranging in age from 24 to 74 years were studied: 9 strictures were inflammatory (40%), 9 were traumatic (40%), 3 (20%) were recurrent. Nineteen strictures were in the bulbar urethra (83%), 2 were cases of penile strictures and 1 case each of pan-urethral stricture and pelvic floor urethral distraction defect. Of the 23 procedures, 13 were simple anastomosis (57%), 5 were dorsal buccal mucosa graft (BMG) urethroplasty (22%), 2 were cases of non-transecting anastomotic urethroplasty, and 1 case each of ventral BMG urethroplasty and Johansson’s and Kulkarni’s panurethroplasty. The overall complication rate was 40% (9 patients). Four patients (17%) had recurrence; 2 had fistula and 1 case each of persistent UTI, erectile dysfunction and periurethral abscess. Three of the four recurrences had undergone BMG urethroplasty. All cases of simple anastomosis had no recurrence.Conclusion: Our centre has embraced diverse urethroplasties for a wide scope of patients. This study found a significant complication rate for substitution urethroplasties, suggesting a need for careful patient selection and an improvement in technique.Keywords: Stricture, Urethroplasty, One-stage, Complications, Outcom

Development of a Microcontroller Based Car Speed Controller

Nigeria and many countries of the world have been experiencing an increase in road traffic accidents much of which can be attributed to human errors such as over speeding. The car speed controller discussed in this work is designed to automatically control the speed of a car so that the car’s speed will not exceed the speed limit that has been set for a particular zone by a regulating body such as the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) in Nigeria. The car speed controller operates by taking inputs from a set of three switches that can set speed limits in kilometers per hour of 40, 80, and 120 respectively. Each setting of the switch is compared with the actual speed of the car that is derived from the car’s speedometer. If the speed of the car exceeds the setting, an actuator is called into operation such that the car’s speed is not allowed to exceed the set limit for the zone. A microcontroller was programmed to take inputs from the switches and the speedometer; depending on the settings the microcontroller turns on light emitting diodes (LEDs) and displays appropriate messages on the screen of a liquid crystal display (LCD). In the simulation model a stepper motor was controlled by the microcontroller through a motor driver to represent the adjustment of speed in the real environment. The program for the microcontroller was written using mikroC development environment and hardware simulation was carried out with the aid of Proteus Design Suite Version 8.0. The speed settings for a zone can be altered to suite the choice of a regulatory agency. The installation of the car speed controller in vehicles will not only give early warnings to drivers but will prevent over speeding thus leading to the reduction in cases of road traffic accidents. Keywords: Car Speed Control, Speed Governor, Microcontroller, Road Safet

Marriage as a peace-making device in conflict situations among the Igbo: Examples from selected Igbo plays

Marriage is a revered institution in Igbo land but it has been bedeviled by various problems and conflicts. However, despite all these, marriage has also been used as a peace making device and these have been reflected in various Igbo texts. This paper examines marriage as a peace making device among the Igbo as seen from three Igbo literary texts; Udo Ka Mma, Eriri Mara Ngwugwu and Ajọ Obi. The study sees lack of finance as presented in Udo Ka Mma, lack of a male child in Eriri Mara Ngwugwu and lack of trust in Ajọ Obi as possible reasons for conflict and its consequences among the Igbos. The study adopts an eclectic approach which embodies social conflict theory and psychoanalytic theory in the analysis of data. The findings reveal that some characters in the plays exhibit idiosyncratic tendencies which make them self centred and impair their vision. Moreover, it is discovered that clash of interest, greed, infidelity, inordinate ambition, suspicion and intrigue abound in the relationship of the characters involved in the plays and these led to a chaotic end. The study is therefore, of the view that people should shun some of these obnoxious practices that cause conflicts in the society and embrace peace. Marriage is a veritable tool used in conflict resolution in Igbo land and these can be seen in the three texts where different conflicts were settled through marriage

Levels of Potentially Toxic Metals In Selected Herbal Medicines In Lagos, Nigeria

The increasing popularity and widespread use of herbs as alternative medicine has sparked an interest in understanding their safety. Potential toxic metals (PTM) have been identified as a risk to human health through the usage of herbal medicines. This study aimed to assess the level and pH of PTM (Fe, Cu, Pb, Cd, Ni and Zn) in selected herbal medicines sold in Lagos, Nigeria. Eight commonly consumed herbal medicines: E-5000, MT-CAPS, B-CAPS, DD-TEA, YC-BITTER, JHD-POWD, KA-POWD, and H-CAPS were analysed for PTM using Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer after wet digestion of the medicines. The highest concentration (mg/kg) of Fe (257±0.1), Pb (33.8±0.01) and Zn (38.9±0.01) were found in KA-POWD. The result also showed that JHD-POWD had the highest concentration amount of Ni (54.0±0.01 mg/kg), while B-CAPS had the highest concentration of Cu (4.14 ±0.02 mg/Kg).  All the herbal medicines analysed are high in Fe content with range between 6.2 to 257 mg/kg. The pH values ranged between slightly acidic of 5.6 - 5.7 to slightly alkaline of 8.0 -8.65.  Twenty five percent of herbal medicines analysed had concentrations of Pb above the the WHO limits of 10 mg/kg, while all the samples had Cd above the permissible limits of 0.3 mg/kg. KA-POWD had the highest concentrations of Pb, Zn, Fe, and Cd determined.  All other PTMs in the other samples analysed are below the recommended permissible limits. Keyword: Capsules; Herbal medicine; Lagos; Potentially toxic metals content; Powdered

In vitro Inhibition of Mycobacterium smegmatis and Mycobacterium tuberculosis by Some Nigerian Medicinal Plants

Some Nigerian plants used in traditional medicine to treat tuberculosis and/or some of its symptoms were screened for in vitro activity against Mycobacterium smegmatis and a clinical isolate of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Only 3 of the 6 crude methanolic extracts of the 6 plant species exhibited inhibitory activities against M. smegmatis, while 5 inhibited the growth of M. tuberculosis. Three and four water extracts inhibited M. smegmatis and M. tuberculosis, respectively. Both methanol and water extracts of Artemisia annua, Pterocarpus erinaceus and Piper guiniense showed inhibitory activities against the two Mycobacteria. Methanol extracts of Anogeissus leiocarpus and Piper guiniense exhibited the highest activity against M. tuberculosis with a minimum inhibitory concentration of 0.1 mg/ml. Key Words: Nigerian medicinal plants, Mycobacterium species, Inhibition East & Central African Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences Vol.6(1) 2003: 15-1

Flavanols and terpenes/sterols with antimycobacterial activity from the stem bark of Pterocarpuse erinaceus Poir (Leguminosae)

The antimycobacterial activity of parts of Pterocarpus erinaceus Poir. (Leguminosae) was studied using the agar proportion method. Phytochemical screening was also carried out to determine the major phytochemical groups responsible for the activity. Only the stem bark of the plant was found to possess varying degrees of activity against four Mycobacterial species namely M. smegmatis ATCC 607, M. tuberculosis, M. bovis and M. avium-complex. Phytochemical screening of the active fractions revealed the presence of flavanols and terpenes/sterols in the fraction isolated from the hexane crude and tannins and terpenes/sterols in the fraction isolated from the methanol crude. The minimum inhibitory concentrations of the active fractions ranged between 0.25 mg/ml and 2.0 mg/ml. Keywords: flavanols, terpenes/sterols, antimycobacterial activities, Pterocarpus erinaceus East and Central African Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences Vol. 7 2004: 40-4

Carotid doppler indices with age and body mass index in a sampled Nigerian population

Background: Carotid doppler studies are frequently carried out to assess for possible stenosis resulting from presence of carotid plaques. The carotid peak systolic velocity (PSV) and end diastolic velocity (EDV) are key indices for determining the severity of the stenosis. However, normative values of these parameters may be dependent on anthropological variables like age and body mass index (BMI)Objective: The study was aimed at assessing the variations of PSV and EDV with age and BMI in a sampled Nigerian population.Materials and Methods: A total of 204 participants (72 males and 132 non-gravid females) aged between 20 and 70 years who were normotensive with no cardiovascular diseases were selected. Their ages, BMI, PSV and the EDV were measured using standard protocols for the four segments of the carotid artery: common carotid (CC), carotid bulb (CB), internal carotid (IC) and the external carotid (EC). Data obtained were presented using tables and line graphs while the analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine significant difference in measurement across the groups.Results: The mean PSV recorded were 88.25 ± 7.43 cm/s for the CC, 73.93 ± 6.23 cm/s for the IC, 51.01 ± 4.30 cm/s for the CB and 50.41 ± 4.25 cm/s for the EC. There was a steady increase of the PSV between 20 and 46 years from 74.91 cm/s to 98.78 cm/s for the CC, from 62.76 cm/s to 82.75 cm/s for the IC, from 42.80 cm/s to 56.43 cm/s for the EC and from 43.30 cm/s to 57.10 cm/s for the CB. The maximum EDV measured for the IC was (24.75 ± 2.11 cm/s). Others were 21.12 ± 1.8 cm/s for the CC, 19.38 ± 1.65 cm/s for CB and 16.92 ± 1.44 cm/s for the EC. The EDV also increased steadily between 20 to 46 years from 17.76 cm/s to 23.68 cm/s for the CC, from 21.04 cm/s to 27.75 cm/s for the IC, from 14.38 cm/s to 18.97 cm/s for the EC and from 16.48 cm/s to 21.73 cm/s for the CB. The PSV and EDV varied significantly with age (p >0.05). Also, the PSV and EDV increased slightly with increasing BMI from 30 – 31.9 kg/m2. For a BMI of 20 kg/m2 to 32 kg/m2, the increase in PSV were from 79.48 cm/s to 90.75 cm/s for the CC, from 66.58 cm/s to 76.03 cm/s for the IC, from 45.40 cm/s to 51.85 cm/s for the EC and from 45.94 cm/s to 52.46 cm/s for the CV. Similarly, the PSV and EDV values decreased at a BMI of 30 – 31.99 kg/m2. Thus, the BMI was significantly associated with PSV and EDV across all segments of the carotid artery (p > 0.05).Conclusion: arotid PSV and EDV with age and BMI. These variations should be taken in to consideration when diagnosis on alterations in carotid artery flow are to be made using PSV and EDV values

Saccharomyces cerevisiae tolerance to hyper-osmolarity in aerobic glucose-limited chemostat culture

Different mechanisms contribute to regulate cellular functions in order to cope with threats from physiological stress conditions. As a fundamental response to balance excess water loss and restore turgor, Saccharomyces cerevisiae subjected to increased osmolarity accelerate intracellular glycerol biosynthesis and accumulation as a compatible solute. This study assessed cellular response to sorbitol-induced osmolarity in aerobic glucose-limited chemostat culture at various levels of the glycerol flux. Cell number declined slightly without any substantial increase in dry weight and total protein contents following exposure to 1M sorbitol that lasted for 90 min. On the other hand, total glycerol levels increased over time in different yeast cultivations corresponding with enhanced glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase 1 (GPD1) transcript levels, which led to a steady and intensified protein product. These results support literature evidence of accumulated intracellular glycerol regulation at different levels and further increase curiosity to understand yeast tolerance in various applications including bakery, brewery and wine making or leavening of bread underdifferent osmotic conditions

16S rDNA Sequencing analysis in identification of some multidrug resistant (MDR) bacterial isolates from clinical specimens

Accurate identification of bacterial pathogens from clinical specimens and Multidrug Resistant (MDR) characterization is a key to empirical therapy.  Twelve (12) bacteria isolates from blood, urine and faecal samples were selected based on the ability to grow on Luria Bertani (LB) agar medium containing 100μg/ml ampicillin, identified by 16S rDNA PCR and sequencing. Identified isolates tagged; U01, U02, U03, U04, S08, U10 and U11 were  from urine specimens, S05, S06, S07 and S12 from stool, while B09 was from blood. The isolates were screened for MDR pattern according to Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. Conventional biochemical tests revealed that all the isolates are Escherichia coli. The 16S gene sequencing results confirmed that, ten (10) isolates had high similar sequence alignment with identified E. coli strains, while two are Enterobacter cloacae and P. aeruginosa. The antimicrobial susceptibility pattern shows that, most of the isolates (83.3%) were MDR. All the 12 isolates (100%) are resistant to Ampicillin, Cephalothin, Erythromycin, Fusidic acid, Novobiocin and Oxacillin, but sensitive to Colistin sulphate and Imipenem. Eleven isolates (91.7%) are resistant to Chloramphenicol, Cotrimoxazole, Streptomycin, Sulphatriad and Tetracycline. Eight of the 12 isolates (66.7%) are resistant to Ciprofloxacin and Ceftriaxone. Seven (58.3%) are resistant to Cefotaxime, Cefuroxime and Gentamycin. Nine (75%) are sensitive and three isolates (25%) are resistant to Augmentin. The high resistance to these antibacterial agents in this study was due to the indiscriminate use of first-line  common antibiotics like ampicillin in the study area, which is now substituted with Augmentin. Routine biochemical identification tests should always be confirmed with genotypic methods such as 16S gene sequencing, to avoid misdiagnosis, as variations do exist among some bacterial strains. Keywords: Multidrug resistance, sequencing, 16S rDNA, E. coli, Enterobacter cloacae, P. aeruginosa

Solar Wind-Magnetosphere Coupling Effect on Radio Refractivity in 2008 for Minna

Solar wind-magnetosphere coupling effect on radio refractivity is investigated from hourly measurement of meteorological parameters and interplanetary parameters for dry and rainy season in Minna (Latitude 9° 36' 50" N and Longitude 6° 33' 24" E) North central, Nigeria for the year 2008. Data used for the work is made up of hourly interval record of meteorological parameters and interplanetary parameters calculated from the data obtained from the Center for Basic Space Science (CBSS) measured with Vantage PRO II Automatic Weather station and through Omini web for each day in all the months of the year in 2008 for both dry and rainy seasons. The result showed that variations of solar wind and radio refractivity time increases almost in an hourly cycle between the 1st hours to the 14th hour during dry season while during rainy season, they exhibit linear decrease with time between 1st hour to the 19th hour. Also the correlation between solar wind energy with radio refractivity is negligible. It was showed as well that solar wind changes with a positive gradient in dry season while solar wind decreases with negative gradient in rainy season. Key words: Solar wind, magnetosphere coupling, radio refractivit